A Different Sort of Goldfish
by KattieWatsonHolmes
Summary: Mycroft Holmes is used to getting his way seeing as he's the British Government when he's not too busy being the British Secret Service or the CIA on a freelance basis. In steps Joanna Reyer, an American woman, intelligence agent, and pain in Mycroft's posterior. Mycroft Holmes is about to meet his match. Can he survive Joanna or will they end up killing each other? The war begins!
1. Hello Mr Holmes

**Hello sweeties and welcome to A Different Sort of Goldfish! This is a Mycroft/OC story featuring my character Joanna Reyer who is featured in my main story The Resident Sociopaths of 221B. This is their love story. It is an eventual relationship, but it does happen sooner than Sherlock and Lexi. Please enjoy. This story is updated as it corresponds with the main story and includes all original chapters. Next chapter will be next week I believe. They can be short or long, depending on how much I had to tell and they are all important aspects of their lives. Pairing name is JoCroft ^-^ I just love them. Rating moves to M in later chapters. No joke.- Melody**

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><p>Mycroft Holmes had just settled in and was enjoying a nice cup of tea in his office. He was indulging himself in a thin sliver of German chocolate cake that Lexi had baked for him from her own recipe. Everything had finally come to a close with the Irene Adler case and Lexi had just returned to London and made up with his brother, which Mycroft really was actually quite please about. Though the man would never admit it, while he did not agree with the relationship between his brother and the woman he considered to be his closest friend and like a younger sister to him, he was happy for them. Lexi balanced his brother and in many ways he dared say made him better. She did not let him get out of hand and kept him in far better control than he normally was. She even went so far as to keep him in line. Lexi reminded him of his mother in many ways. She was a strong woman, all Holmes' women were and Mycroft could see that she would make a good wife for Sherlock if he ever did ask her to marry him. Everything was finally back to normal and now that everyone was playing nicely with each other again, Mycroft was looking forward to a little bit of peace and quiet. He currently had no pressing matters that he had to see to in government which meant that he finally got to have a little break from acting as nurse maid to everyone.<p>

His peace and tranquility were broken and smashed to pieces beyond any repair when the door to his office suddenly slammed open. Mycroft let out a very undignified sound of surprise and jumped roughly, losing his composure completely in his shock over the suddenness of the intrusion and he sloshed tea down the front of his suit jacket. He looked up to find a raven haired young woman standing in his doorway who was not Anthea. She was wearing dark washed, heavily distressed, and ripped jeans, a red plaid button down shirt, and cowboy boots which looked like they had several layers of dirt on them. Her hair was a colour that Mycroft could not distinguish between brown or black and it fell to her elbows in loose waves from a center part. She had several small braids in her hair, two of which had wooden, painted beads and feathers weaved into them in some sort of Native American like style. Mycroft was on his way to hitting the button to call his security team in to remove the unknown woman who he couldn't begin to fathom on how she had gotten past his staff when she lifted her sunglasses, revealing a pair of highly expressive and very beautiful blue eyes.

"Mycroft Holmes I presume?" The young woman asked him, raising her perfectly arched eyebrow slightly and Mycroft narrowed his eyes at her very thick and very obvious American accent. She was from New York if Mycroft wasn't mistaken which of course he was not.

"I am," Mycroft told her calmly as he set his tea cup down on his desk, regaining his composure and drawing himself up to his full height. This woman hardly looked dangerous thought looks could be deceiving. Of course if she was an assassin his security wouldn't get here in enough time so it would fall to him to protect himself. How tedious. He folded his hands in front of himself reservedly as he watched the woman in front of him, flicking the panel of the hidden drawer which contained a gun open with his foot under his desk.

"Well, that makes this so much easier," The woman said and Mycroft lowered his hands, slowly reaching for his gun, just as Anthea burst through the door behind the woman who turned around quickly. Mycroft's hand closed around his gun under his desk, ready to defend his personal assistant who was no doubt about to be attacked.

"Sir! I'm sorry we just caught it. There's been a security breach…," Anthea said, trailing off, her eyes widening in surprise as she saw the young woman who was smiling pleasantly. Anthea looked to Mycroft and he saw her little look of fear even if she tried to hide it.

"Five minutes, not half bad," The young woman said as she checked her wrist watch. "Took Secret Service nearly half an hour but that's the Americans for you. By the time they found me I was already having a lovely chat with the President in the Oval Office. To be fair I did hack their systems. Yours were just easy to get by," The young woman said and Mycroft frowned, suddenly feeling very confused an emotion that he didn't like feeling.

"I demand to know who you are," Mycroft intoned and the woman looked over at him, raising her eyebrow at him again as she smirked at him slightly and Mycroft's grip tightened around his gun, though he didn't bring it out just yet. He wasn't sure if he needed it.

"Ooooh demand do you?" The young woman asked him and she laughed slightly. "That's new. That is definitely a new one," She said before she tilted her head to the side and she suddenly started staring at him. Mycroft got the feeling that he was under a microscope as she watched him and he realized that she was studying him. She straightened her head all of a sudden and smiled at him in a cat ate the canary sort of way as she stuck her tongue between her teeth. "I think that I like you Mycroft Holmes at least I can tell why Lexi does," She told him and Mycroft's jaw dropped a little bit with shock as she said Lexi's name. "Oh you can put the gun away now too. Though I am flattered," She told him with a cheeky grin as she walked into his office further and sat down in one of his armchairs, sticking her boot clad feet up onto his nice table which dislodged a bit of dirt. "Mr. President…,"She said, her accent going rather southern. "See that would work if you were American. Don't worry. I'll figure out a nickname for you," She assured him as she reverted back to her normal accent. "Since you asked so nicely I'll oblige…I'm Joanna Reyer, though you probably know me better as Lady Liberty," The young woman told him and Mycroft instantly released his gun as the young woman placed both hands on the arms of the armchair she was sitting in and smiled up at him.

"My apologize," Mycroft quickly told her as he stepped around his desk, closing his hidden drawer and she waved him off just as quickly before she shrugged and stood up again.

"Don't worry about it honey, I showed myself in," She told him and Mycroft stiffened a little at the name she used for him as she smirked back at him and Mycroft quickly walked over to Anthea, ushering her to the door and whispering to her frantically.

Joanna Reyer was a very important woman and while he wasn't fond of her because of what he knew about her, she could destroy him and the British Government entirely if she wanted too, at least that is what everyone knew about her. She was known better as Lady Liberty, only a few knew her as Joanna Reyer and it was only by coincidence that Lexi had run into the most powerful woman in the entire world in of all places a pub in Dublin. Governments all fought for Lady Liberties attentions and if she chose to lend a certain government her aid, you did everything you could to keep her happy. Of course Mycroft thought she was just a woman who thought far too highly of herself and seeing her now, he was proven right. When he turned around after Anthea left, shutting the door behind her, he found her sitting behind his desk with her feet propped up on his work space. He gritted his teeth in irritation as she just smirked back at him, knowing full well what she was doing. She was testing him to see how he would react to her very obvious display of disrespect.

"Do you mind?" Mycroft asked her through clenched teeth as he gestured to her feet and she tilted her head to the side as if thinking about her answered and hummed for a minute before she smirked a bit at him.

"Yes actually," She told him before she gestured with her foot to one of the chairs which sat across from his desk. "You might want to sit honey, we have business to discuss," Joanna told him, her smile fading as she grew more serious and Mycroft could tell that he original joking was over. Some people, mostly the Americans who came in contact with her said that she could be rather frightening at times but Mycroft Holmes never backed down and he was never frightened, certainly never over a woman. A muscle in Mycroft's temple jumped at her use of the word honey again and he glared at her for a long moment before he walked over to the chair that she had indicated and sat down with as much dignity as he could muster as she watched him. He studied her, beginning to try to deduce her before he hit a brick wall. It was as if someone had turned it off completely. He was looking right at her but he could tell nothing about her. He bit the inside of his cheek hard enough that he could taste blood as he stared back at her watching the intelligent spark light up in her eyes. "Now then, I believe you are more than aware of who I am Mr. Holmes and how I work. You should also be quite aware of what I am capable of doing," Joanna started and Mycroft nodded once at her in understanding.

"The British Government has been monitoring your activity over the last decade, especially of late," Mycroft told her calmly, referring to the fact that she was one of the heads of the Bond Air project and also because she was so closely connected with Lexi.

"That's so sweet," Joanna laughed and Mycroft bit his inner cheek again as the woman infuriated him to no end. "You'd think you'd have better things to do than worry about what I'm up to," She continued before she raised her eyebrow slightly. "Come on Microsoft, we both know that the British Government actually means you. We also both know that I am friends with Lexi and you watch her closer than your own brother," Joanna said, taking her boots off of his desk finally as she leaned forward in her chair and Mycroft gritted his teeth at her second name for him.

"My name is Mycroft," He growled at her and she frowned at him as she snorted.

"Did your mother really hate you?" She asked him with a pitying look and Mycroft ground his teeth together at her mention of his mother. "What I call you doesn't matter and you'll agree with me in a minute," Joanna told him and she smirked when Mycroft raised an eyebrow at her in an "Oh will I now?" manner. "See I'm here to make sure that your brother doesn't fuck up and hurt my best friend. That's the only reason I'm in London honey. That and it was getting a bit boring cleaning up after American fuck ups. Lexi's here so I am too," Joanna told him before she picked up his cake and his fork and took a bite of his uneaten dessert. "Hmm just as good as mine though it is my recipe so it should be," She said with a shrug and Mycroft felt slightly shocked that his favourite treat actually came from this woman. "I'm offering the British Government my services," Joanna told him, getting back on topic as she put the cake down. "And no, before you ask, I'm not asking you, I'm telling you. That's the way this works," She told him as she gestured in between them and Mycroft gritted his teeth again, feeling his blood boil as she took another dainty bite of his cake. "And you really can't refuse me. I mean you could try and I would give you points for your efforts but we both know how that would end," Joanna told him before she stood up, brushing her hands off on her jeans. "You will be hearing from me very soon honey and just remember before you try to refuse my help that I don't give it very easily," She told him before she walked over to his office door and opened it, pausing for a moment as she looked back at him. "Oh and just as a warning you might want to pass on, if your brother ever hurts Lexi like that again I will personally hunt him down and after I exact the amount of pain I think he deserves I might be merciful and kill him," She told him, he voice dark, ominous, and very unnerving before she smiled brightly at me. "Have a nice day," She told him waving cheerfully and winking at him once before she walked out, leaving the door open behind her. And that was how Mycroft Holmes met the woman named Joanna Reyer and learned to despise her all in one day.


	2. A Lesson In Respect

**_Hello honeys! Joanie here! So glad that you like the story so far and me. Please enjoy this next chapter in Mycroft and my love story. Melody also known as Mels or quite recently Mellie would like you to know that the cover art for this story is what I look like. As Lexi would say, Allons-y. -JR_**

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><p>Mycroft Holmes sat in his office, having a rather trying discussion with Joanna. She had only been working with him for two weeks and already she was testing his patience to no end. She was arrogant, loud, rude, obnoxious, unmannered, foulmouthed, and seemed to believe that she was God's gift to humanity. She disagreed with him on every turn and refused to listen to him. She refused to compromise or even consider an opinion that was not her own and she seemed to consider everyone else to be to incompetent enough to do their own work. She was constantly poking her nose where it didn't belong and Mycroft was finally putting his foot down. She would undermine him no longer. He had called her into his office specifically to address this urgent matter. She might be the famed Lady Liberty but here, he was in control. He had not worked his backside off for the last ten years of his life to have some curvaceous American forcefully barge her way into his offices and his life and start telling him what to do. He would be damned if he started listening to her, a woman that was no doubt half his age by her appearance. So far their conversation was not going as well as could be expected and Mycroft was getting more irritated by the second and Joanna was only increasing his ire by looking smug and amused. She was just as sarcastic and infuriating as Lexi could be when she refused to listen. He was sure that Lexi had learnt her ways from this aggravating woman.<p>

"I don't care what you used to do when you were working for the American Government, when you are working for the British Government, I am in control and you will do things my way, is that understood Miss Reyer?" Mycroft asked Joanna from behind his desk as he stared at the petite woman who had her arms crossed over her chest and her eyebrow hitched sardonically at him. Her mouth, which was coated with a bright red lip stain today was drawn in a hard line, giving her a severe countenance and she suddenly flashed the corners of her mouth up in a sarcastic and scornful smile at him that would have rivaled his own any day.

"Yes," She told him shortly as she put on a fake British accent and Mycroft narrowed his eyes at her. Her pronunciation was superb however which shocked him. Most Americans couldn't even put on a passable British accent put hers was perfect in pitch, tone, and was neither Posh, nor Cockney, but more Central London. This furthered his deductions about the nature of her work. Her accent was New York in origin but nor all her words held that particular accent which mean that she switched it often. She had no distinctive accent. She was an intelligence agent after all.

"Yes what?" Mycroft asked her as he raised his eye brow at her, his mouth turning down in a frown and he narrowed his eyes at her as he knew she was challenging him.

"Yes it is," Joanna told him with an innocent look and Mycroft growled under his breath at her disrespectful attitude. She had no respect at all for authority. No wonder Lexi didn't either. This woman was a terrible role model for Lexi. At least he had found Lexi and taught her some etiquette and skills other than how to be an egotistical, contemptuous, belligerent fool.

"Yes it is what?" Mycroft growled at Joanna darkly and she uncrossed her arms and legs and leaned closer as she put her arms on his desk and raised her lifted her perfectly sculpted eyebrow. Her blue eyes sparked with a mischievous glint which made Mycroft's blood boil.

"Yes it is understood," Joanna told him with a quirky little smirk on her face and Mycroft leaned in closer to her so that their faces were inches apart and he was staring right into her eyes.

"Yes it is understood what?" Mycroft asked her and she tilted her head to the side and frowned in confusion, lifting her eyebrow higher.

"Yes it is understood please?" She asked him before shaking her head at him, that devilish smirk still on her face.

"I'm waiting," Mycroft told her darkly as they both leaned back and stood up, standing at their full heights. Mycroft looked down his nose at her and he noticed for the first time just how short Miss. Reyer was. How could someone so small induce so much rage in him? She stood no higher than the middle of his chest when she wore flats. Today she was wearing a pair of two inch heels and she still barely reached his shoulder.

"You're not seriously waiting for me to call you sir?" Joanna snorted as she shook her head and walked away from him, twisting her raven hair over one of her shoulders and then looking back at him. "Oh God you are actually, you're not honestly joking?" She asked him before she laughed at him and threw her hair back so that it cascaded down around her shoulders again in waves.

"Yes I am," Mycroft told her, breathing in deeply as he stuck his jaw out and squared his shoulders. "Why is that so hard to believe?" Mycroft asked her, feeling a bit of a sting like she had slapped him from having her laugh at him. It's not that he sought her approval or cared about her opinion of him, he only needed her to respect him at work, but he was used to having people laugh at him for one reason or another, mostly about his weight …he just thought she might be different. Obviously he was wrong which was why he shouldn't have cared in the first place.

"Well to select one reason from the fifteen or sixteen that present themselves…I refuse to call you sir because I don't work for you," Joanna told him as she strode over to him as Mycroft walked around his desk. She place her hands on her hips and glared up at him, and somehow, even at her height she looked imposing.

"Right well, I think that your previous role has given you a rather skewed view of the chain of authority of how this government is run and maybe a little observation of the formalities will help remind you of which one of us is actually in control here. So, is that understood?" Mycroft asked her, not backing down as he glared down at the shorter woman and she stepped closer to him, raising her eyebrow and narrowing her eyes at him all in one movement.

"Yes…sir," She said scornfully before she turned around and walked over to his office door, swishing her hips in a rather provocative way. She turned back to him with a dark look on her face and a sinful smirk on her dace. "Don't think this is over yet honey. You've just declared war and you might have forgotten…Americans like their guns," Joanna told him, nodding her head at him before she slipped from his office and shut the door with a loud bang almost like a gunshot. Mycroft jumped before swallowing thickly and nodding, glad that that went well. She knew her place now.

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><p>"You're a burk," The Prime Minister told Mycroft after a negotiation with France and Ireland went through that did not come out too well for Great Britain. It wasn't Mycroft's fault, not really. He had simply suggested a plan that the Ambassadors had not liked all too well. "And where were you in all this? Please tell me you didn't agree to this?" The Prime Minister asked Joanna who was standing beside him, dressed in a brown pinstriped skirt and blazer with a white button down blouse under it. She was wearing it with brown heels and her hair was in a high bun. It was the first time Mycroft had seen her in something other than the jeans and t shirts or plaid shirts she had been wearing for the last three weeks. So far her war she spoke of had not occurred. It was nice to know she could clean up and at least look proper when the need arose. The American might not mind a hillbilly in the White House, but Buckingham Palace called for more class. Of course that didn't stop Sherlock and Lexi from parading around it in only a bed sheet and a dressing gown.<p>

"I did try to suggest and alternative plan to sir, but sir quite properly reminded me that sir is in command and we should all obey sir at all times," Joanna deadpanned and Mycroft's eyes widened with shock as he looked at the Prime Minister. She hadn't dared?! He had told her that he was in command and that she was to obey him when she tried to suggest an alternative plan to him. This was her war? Her revenge was to make him look like an idiot in front of the Prime Minister?

"Who reminded you?" The Prime Minister asked her with a confused frown and Mycroft looked at her with a pleading look but she remained straight faced. He caught the evil glint in her eye and he knew she was enjoying this.

"Mycroft Holmes or as I am privileged to call him…sir," Joanna told the Prime Minister, saying the word with as much contempt and scorn as she had the first time and the man looked between Mycroft and Joanna and raised his eyebrows, shooting them a look and nodding before he swept out of the room.

"How dare you?!" Mycroft roared at her as soon as the man was gone and Joanna only smirked at him.

"Gosh let's see honey. I believe you started this little war. I never said I would play fair. Look at the time, must be going," Joanna said, looking down at her bare wrist as if there was a watch on it as she started to slowly walk backwards towards the door with a bright grin on her face. "See you later…sir," Joanna told him mockingly with a little wave before she turned around and saunter off with the same amount of sway to her hips as before.

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><p>"Good morning Miss Reyer!" Anthea said to Joanna as soon as she walked past Mycroft's PA's desk. Anthea had come to like Joanna since she started working at Mycroft's offices. She was witty and intelligent and really pleasant to chat with. The only problem was that she and Mycroft always kept fighting. If Anthea could help it she would find a way to get the two of them together. She could see that they would make a really cute couple. They were alike in a lot of ways.<p>

"Good morning Anthea. You're revolting chipper for half six in the morning," Joanna said as Anthea handed her a mug of coffee and Joanna saluted her with it. Joanna was not a morning person and was not in any way cordial until she had coffee in her. She took a sip and sighed in contentment and Anthea smiled at her.

Joanna really was a nice person. She looked really nice today too. She was wearing a camel coloured pencil skirt with a white button down shirt tucked into it that had camel coloured pinstripes. She paired it with black flats and layered a few golden bangles on her wrist and a few golden chains around her neck. She also had a pair of black framed glasses on which told Anthea her contacts were bothering her today. Joanna told her she had dressed in jeans and her t shirts to throw Mycroft off for the first few weeks before she pulled out all her professional clothing which was more her style. Her hair certainly looked nice piled up in a messy bun, but Anthea thought she had caught Mycroft staring at Joanna hen her hair was down. Joanna's hair was an unusual shade and like Lexi's it was unusually long and fell in beautiful waves. Holmes' men seemed to have a thing for hair or at least Sherlock did.

"Where's Mycroft?" Anthea asked Joanna, fishing around to see if the petite woman would know. She hadn't seen her boss come in yet and he usually was in around this time, about the same time that Joanna came in every day.

"Who can predict the movements of the supreme commander?" Joanna asked her sarcastically and Anthea sighed heavily, tired of their ongoing feud. "Perhaps God wanted to pick his brains about something," Joanna muttered before she took another sip of her coffee, extreme cream and four sugars, "because she is the spawn of Satan and there is not enough sugar in the world to make her sweet enough" as Mycroft tried to tell Anthea. They were both terrible and Anthea vowed she was going to get them to at least like each other.

"I see you two still aren't getting along," Anthea commented as she leaned on her desk and twirled her pen between her fingers.

"Oh not at all! Sir and I are the best of friends. Just last night we had a long conversation about our feelings," Joanna said before she shook her head and Anthea noticed that she looked slightly upset about something. "Never mind," She said before she turned back to the door way. "Ah ha, what's this? Who is this commanding presence hooving into view? Can it be sir? It can," Joanna said as Mycroft walked into the office, not looking happy himself this morning.

"Good morning," Mycroft told Anthea tiredly and Anthea waved at her boss, wondering why he sounded so dejected for once. He looked rather upset about something.

"Greetings oh sir," Joanna said as she bowed lowly before Mycroft.

"Don't call me sir," Mycroft snapped at Joanna, glaring at her and Anthea saw Joanna smirk at him and saw the hurt expression in Mycroft's eyes. Oooh. Oh no.

"Sir's mind is fickle and changeable. I shall endeavor to remember sir, but from time to time my natural awe at the majestic figure cut by sir may bubble up uncontrollably and…" Joanna said sarcastically before Mycroft cut her off.

"Yes, thank you Joanna. Truly you are a hilarious woman," Mycroft told her before he strode past her to his office and walked in, slamming the door behind him.

"You shouldn't have done that," Anthea told Joanna and she just snorted into her coffee as she took another sip of her drink.

"Well if he can't handle being teased he shouldn't start things. It's not my fault…," Joanna said before Anthea cut her off.

"You really hurt his feelings," Anthea told her and Joanna looked up at her in surprise. "I know he doesn't show it but he does honestly care. He worked really hard to get where he is,' Anthea told her and Joanna nodded firmly.

"Yes and I understand that and trust me, my job is not to come in her and act like a tyrant and take over a government and say it's my way or the highway. I know that's what you all must think of me," Joanna said and Anthea shook her head quickly but Joanna held her hand up and stopped her. "You do and that's okay. What I do, what I choose to do with the skills I learnt is offer governments help. The second service I provide is to teach government officials, like Mycroft, that they don't hold all the power. Trust me, I'm not going to be just targeting him, but he does abuse his rights working as the British Government to spy on his brother and Lexi and act all powerful. If I take him down a peg or two it's so that his head can still fit through doorways," Joanna told Anthea who was surprised that she had purpose behind her arguments. "I didn't say my methods were nice," Joanna said before she shrugged. "Eh, I'll make it up to him. Call a truce for now. I'm not in the mood to fight with him today anyway," Joanna said as she looked around the room and Anthea caught that sad look in her eyes again as if there was something on her mind. "Alright," Joanna said, saluting her with her coffee before she slunk back to her own office. Anthea could tell that something was on Joanna's mind but she didn't ask her about it. Her form of truce came in a white box which she gave to her to hand over to Mycroft who had shut himself in his office. Mycroft found a piece of freshly made German chocolate cake inside and a small note taped to the lid which simply stated that Joanna was calling a truce from their war only for the day. She still infuriated him and he was still beyond livid with her, especially with how she had mocked and teased him earlier, but after taking a few bites of the cake her took back the comment her made about her, there was enough sugar in the word to make her sweet and she used it to bake him a cake.


	3. Fighting For Control

**Hello honeys! So you get more chapters a lot quicker for this story now that I have finished writing TRS and can write all these chapters. Yes, Joanna seems to be making it really difficult for Mycroft but she has her reasons and she is a lot like Mycroft actually, caring is not an advantage in her opinion. But next chapter we see a more flirty side to Joanna before they have their heart to heart. **

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><p>Gregory Lestrade had just sat down to enjoy a nice piece of strudel with his coffee when he heard the most ungodly sound which made him jump. It was a loud sound, almost like…well it sound like two people trying to murder each other in the middle of his division. Lestrade quickly sprang to his feet, his coffee forgotten and his strudel left untouched as he rushed to find where the domestic was coming from. Most likely one of his officers had brought in some couple and they were going at it. He was used to druggie or drunk couples coming in, the only problem is, when he pulled open the door to his office, he finally was able to hear what the couple was actually shouting which was not what he was expecting to hear.<p>

"Oh, I'm sorry sir!" The woman shouted in a scornful voice. "Should I have waited around for you? If I remember correctly out of the two of us I actually know what I'm doing in this situation!" The woman shouted at the posh man who was standing at the other end of the division from her. They were not what Lestrade was expecting, in fact…Lestrade was shocked. They were quite frankly the best oddest couple he had ever seen having a domestic in his division and his entire team was staring at them with shocked faces.

The woman was about 5'1 in height and wearing blue jeans, cowboy boots, and a t shirt that had the Yankees logo on it. She had elbow length raven hair which fell in natural waves and bright blue eyes which were heavy lined with black eyeliner and her lips were coloured in with a deep rose lip stain which set off her pale skin. The man on the other hand was about 6'2 and wearing a grey three piece suit complete with a pocket watch. Lestrade had seen some posh people before but this man took the cake. The man's eyes were a steelish grey and his hair was a light auburn. His hairline was receded so that only a whisp of hair fell over his high forehead before the rest of it fell in a neatlyvtrimmed style. His mouth was currently drawn down into a severe frown. It was the sort of frown that could make babies cry just with one look and quite honestly it made Lestrade feel uncomfortable. The woman looked, well normal honestly, except for the fact that it registered with Lestrade that she had been shouting at the posh man in an American accent. That explained the Yankees shirt. He guessed she was from New York then. The man on the other hand looked a bit scary, sort of like he held a rather important position somewhere. Why an American woman from anew York was shouting at a furious posh man in the middle of his division when he should be, by all rights, enjoying his strudel and coffee was beyond him.

"Don't call me sir!" The man shouted back at her and Lestrade almost snorted…almost... at how ridiculous it sounded. It seemed liked this was from some old argument between them. "You've undermined me again! I told you that I would handle it," The man shouted as he advanced on the shorter woman and Greg felt instantly protective of her. This man was a foot taller than her at least And he towered over her as he loomed over her. He was also apparently trying to control her. He didn't know why they were arguing or what the nature of their relationship was but it seemed to him like he was sort of the controlling sort. Besides that, they were causing a scene in his division.

"That's enough! The pair of you!" Lestrade roared over the both of them and they both turned to look at him. "Now, I want to know why it is that you two are having a domestic in the middle of my division," The D.I. said as he stepped forward towards the couple, passing by Anderson and Donovan who had been no help at all. Domestics were something Lestrade hated to see, especially in young couples. It had killed him when Lexi had left for American weeks ago and he had seen Sherlock and her at odds before then. He was currently in the process of going through a divorce with his wife. All they did was fight all the time. Couples shouldn't fight, that shouldn't be their go to response. Talking should be the first thing you tried and then counselling if that didn't work. Domestics in the middle of his division should never be an option. "And try to give a good explanation as to why I shouldn't be putting you two into a holding cell until you work out whatever this is," Lestrade said, gesturing to the both of them as he looked between them and the man stepped up.

"My apologize for Miss Reyer's behaviour. She seems to have once again spoken without thinking first…," The man said, gesturing to the woman and Lestrade was just as shocked as the woman seemed to be by the man's words. She angrily put her hands on her hips as she looked up at him, not all seemingly perturbed by his height advantage. Well good n her because he was only a few inches taller than Lestrade and even that was enough to intimidate him slightly.

"Oh I spoke without thinking did I? While we are on the subject Microsoft…," The woman, Miss Reyer apparently, said mockingly and Lestrade got the idea that this was some sort of insulting nickname given that the man instantly turned and glared at her. "Would you like to explain to the D.I. how you decided that you somehow suddenly knew everything when it came to the kid who thought he was some glorified hacker god," The woman said sarcastically before she snorted. Okay back up, so they were here for a case? Or a kid? Their kid? No, not their kid but a kid so maybe they worked together as well. They obviously held some sort of official position given the man's state of dress but the woman confused him. ,aye it was her day off and she had come in like that. Why would an American be helping out a British government official though? It hurt Lestrade's head to even think about it and it was only seven in the morning so he stopped trying alltogether.

"I told you I would handle it!" The man shouted at her and she scoffed, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Oh yes, like you handled negotiations with Ireland. That went so well," The woman mocked him and Lestrade stared at them in confusion, not sure what they were talking about or what exactly was going on.

"If you weren't constantly undermining my authority…," The man said and the woman laughed brightly and pointed at him.

"Oh that is rich. No that is perfect. Your authority? See here I was almost forgetting which one of us was actually in control," The woman said before she poked the man right in the chest. "Listen here honey. Your pretty little face is here to listen to me, not the other way around," The woman told him as the man glared down at her, taking a step towards her as they narrowed their eyes at each other.

"You are nothing more than a…," The man said before Lestrade cut them off or more like the click of a pair of handcuffs locking around their wrists cut them off. Both the man and woman looked down to their conjoined wrists before looking over to him. "What the bloody hell is this?" The man roared and the D.I. grinned at him.

"That would be me, extending my authority," Lestrade told them with a slight smirk before he looked over to Donovan. "I think a bit of time in the lock up might help to cool those tempers down a little bit," Lestrade told them before he gestured to Donovan and she walked forward and took the woman's arm tightly as Lestrade took the man's. They led them both down to the holding cells and popped them inside one together, leaving the hand cuffs on them. Lestrade planned on leaving them there for only an hour at most. He didn't need to know who they were but he knew that if they sat long enough forcibly linked together they would have to work out their issues. He sat down watching the couple on the security camera in the cell just in case they started another row he would have to break up and also because this would probably be entertaining. He saw the woman and man glare at each other before they started at it again.

"Look at what you've done!" The man shouted at the woman who gestured around the cell as she snorted and made a sound, raising her eyebrow at the man.

"Oh what I've done? Get over yourself," The woman told him before she tried to walk away and ended up pulling him with her. The man let out a cry of pain as his arm was pulled by the handcuffs and he roughly pulled her back which caused her to cry out in pain. "Ouch. Jerk. What the fuck?" The woman asked him.

"Well it's your own fault," The man told her angrily.

"Oh yeah. 'Cos everything is just all my fault. It's never yours. You know you think so highly of yourself!" The woman shouted at him and he turned and frowned at her.

"And what does that mean?" He asked her angrily and she gestured to him.

"You! All you ever do is comment on what your brother does wrong and wear your stupid three piece suits while you stick your nose up at everything and lord over everyone. You think you are God's gift to humanity. You can do no wrong. Your word is law. You are so full of crap. Your head is stuck so far up your ass and is so enlarged by your ego I'm surprised you even manage to fit through doorways," The woman shouted at the man and Lestrade was surprised slightly by the arguments. He was starting to wonder now if they were actually a couple or not. They seemed to hate each other, but they sort of seemed to fit well together too. They looked like they fit.

"As opposed to you?" The man asked her with a snort and he rolled his eyes. "Let's all bow down to the queen," He said sarcastically. "Don't have an opinion or think you know better than her because she'll remind you that her word is law. She always has to be in control, always has to be talking, I'm surprised she can shut up for more than a few seconds," The man said and the woman chuckled darkly.

"Oh that is rich coming from you honey. Tell me did, Mummy not pay enough attention to you as a child? Cos that is the only explain I can think of for why you always have to be in control," The woman asked him and the man glared at her angrily.

"Don't you dare bring my mother into this," He warned her, narrowing his eyes at her threateningly. "And what about you? No one would listen to you so you spend your time talking over everyone now?" The man asked her and the woman shrugged.

"I wouldn't know, I'm an only child," The woman told him nonchalantly before shrugging. "That's not my point. My point is that you had no clue at all what you were doing. He was a hacker. I am a hacker," The woman said and the man chuckled humorlessly.

"Oh yes, I forgot that you were also a felon," The man said before there was a click in the room and Lestrade saw the woman make a movement faster than his eyes could process. She stepped back from the man a moment later and he noticed that she was out of the hand cuff and the part that had been around her wrist was now around the other man's wrist. He looked down a bit surprised by this and Lestrade noticed that he hadn't been watching her hands and neither had the man. Both of them had been distracted by her words.

"Only slightly honey," The woman said as she looked down at her nails and picked at them. "Oh sorry, do you expect me to get you out of those?" She asked him as the man looked down at his handcuff and then glared at her. "No can do honey. Someone has to wear the nice D.I.'s bracelets until he comes back to collect us," The woman said before she walked over to the bench he hips swishing.

"You are walking on a dangerous line," The man warned her as she sat and the woman looked up at him, grinning.

"Oh I know honey. It's what makes life fun. You should try it sometime," She told him before she patted the space beside her on the bench. "Now we could spend the next several hours shouting back and forth at each other and looking like idiots or we could sit and wait and try to be civil," The woman said and the man took a deep breath and sighed, glaring at her for a moment before he walked over to her and sat down. They were forced to sit closely together, their knees touching due to how small the bench was and Lestrade saw them both still a bit tense from their fight. "There…not so bad," The woman said, as she scooted back and drew he knees up no her chest. The man sat with his feet crossed at his ankle, his back straight… the poshest pose ever for a jail cell.

Lestrade watched them as time passed and someone was nice enough to bring him a cup of coffee as he kept up the watch. He watched as the man gradually sagged out of his uncomfortable pose, scooting back until he was seated with his back against the wall next to the woman. She looked over at him and grinned and he just glared at her, pouting like a petulant child. Despite this fact, their knees and shoulders were now touching as he drew his knees up to his chest as well. Lestrade had to admit they made a cute couple. After a bit longer the woman made a comment to the man about something Lestrade had never heard of and the man cracked a small smile. Before long they were both chatting animatedly about someone's hat and how it made them look like they had a bird nesting in their hair. They were both laughing. And the woman fell against the man's shoulder before pulling herself up and apologizing. He told her it was, "quite alright" before looking up into her eyes as she tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear. The man frowned for a moment as the woman raised her eyebrow quizzically and they leaned in slightly towards each other. Lestrade got the impression that he had left them in their cell long enough. It only took them three hours before they stopped fighting and started getting along, acting more like friends than enemies. He went and entered their cell and they jumped apart quickly like two school children who were getting caught doing something naughty. It was pretty cut actually.

Lestrade let them out, unhandcuffing the man and letting the both of them out with the warning of not disturbing the peace, especially in the middle of a police division. He escorted them both out of the building, allowing them both back their mobiles which was the only thing he had taken from them. As they got outside and a black car pulled up in front of Scotland Yard, a woman on a Blackberry got out and asked them what had taken them so long. The man and woman took one look at each other before they both started shouting again. Lestrade sighed heavily and threw his hands in the air, giving up on the couple entirely before he walked back inside and returned to his office. He swapped his old coffee out for a fresh cup and sat down behind his desk about to enjoy his abandoned strudel before another couple burst into his office, Sherlock Holmes and Lexi MacKenna. Only this couple was cover head to toe in blood and Sherlock was carrying a harpoon. Some things apparently never changed.


	4. Under Your Skin

**Hello loves! So here is the next chapter of A Different Sort of Goldfish and this one is a bit different and we get a bit more of a vibe for Joanie. Oh I updated the last chapter and added bits to it so you might want to retread it first. so I am working on a prompt for Windows Into Baker Street which I hope to finish tomorrow after school. I then have the Torchwood and Cabin Pressure one shots I am working on. I also magically rearranged Joanie's back story and made it even more incredible. This is why I still haven't started the novel yet. I'm still coming up with the beginning.**

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><p>Joanna sat back in her chair, her fingers flying rapidly over the keyboard in front of her as she deleted her cyber pathways and any information that could possibly link her computer back to the servers at Baskerville. She was fucked and not just a little, a lot. Of course she had known that by agreeing to help Lexi break into Baskerville that it was possible that everything was going to all fold back on her. She had been hoping that she could manage to not set off the security measures but Mycroft had personally overseen their increasement to make sure people like her and Lexi couldn't get in. To be quite honest, Joanna didn't actually want to fight with Mycroft Holmes. Sure, she liked giving him a hard time but she actually liked him. There was just something about him that she couldn't quite put her finger on yet that she liked about him. Just because she liked him didn't mean she was going to stand down and let him walk all over her and play the "I'm in control" act. He still had to learn what exactly it meant for him and his government with her being here. Of course that was an entirely too long of a story and she didn't want to get into it fully. The British government was so far the only one that she had had very little contact with in the past.<p>

The fact still remained that she was utterly fucked. Why? Because she had screwed up and everything could be traced back to her computer. In fact someone had probably already traced it back to her computer by now. She was fast but she was also out of practice. So that probably meant that the British Government had gotten a second call after being informed of the security breach at Baskerville to inform him that the computer IP address that had been linked with the security breach had come right from his own office. She had two ways she could play this. Option one was to run for it and hope she could get back to her flat before he got here, pack a bag, get on a plane before he found her, and enjoy a week in a sunny local until he forgot about her, which wasn't likely, so option two was to play stupid when he came in which would be probably at any minute. Joanna typed in a few more codes which were pointless since he would already know who had helped them but for neatness she wanted to at least finish what she had started before she folded one of her hands under her chin and brought up a game of Solitaire on her computer.

She chewed on her bottom lip and picked up a pencil, and slid it into her bun as she often did when she was stopping work in order to look a little more normal. Shit was about to hit the proverbial fan but hey at least she looked pretty today. She was wearing the new outfit she had bought when she had gone out shopping with Anthea recently. It was a blue work dress with a fitted bodice, a tight pencil skirt that ended at her knees and showed off her legs, and had cap sleeves but showed off her neck line. Sher had paired it with a pair of cream coloured heels to give her some height and some simple hoop earrings. She had also keep her hair simple, just putting it up in a messy up do with a few pieces of her hair falling free to frame around her face. She wore no makeup save for a bit of lip stain. She was the one who had taught Lexi that you didn't need make up to look beautiful. She had become really good friends with Anthea recently or well Charlotte. Anthea was a very bright young woman and Joanna enjoyed spending time with her. It was nice to have someone to talk to again.

**Joanna's POV **

I normally didn't have anyone to talk to. I was alone a lot and not by choice but that was fine…caring wasn't an advantage. I couldn't care in my line of work anyway. Caring could get someone hurt. It had already gotten me hurt in the past. I made an exception for Lexi though. Anthea…we could possibly be friends. I liked that, having friends. Normally people didn't want to be my friend. My personality put people off. Well that and who I was. Intelligence agents got a bad rap and I was the worst one. There was only one other intelligence agent worse than me, A.G.R.A. and I had never met her in person but I knew of the things she had done. In terms of who had destroyed the most lives, we were about the same, only I had done it all indirectly. Mycroft… I wasn't sure what we were. We fought most of the time…had rows and domestics, but then there was a few times like when we had been put in the holding cell together the week before hand that we had just talked for a bit and we had actually gotten along. Surprisingly we had a lot in common too like a love for classical music, fine literature, good wine, and fine dining. I may seem like an unintelligent American but I was more than what I seemed to be. As was Mycroft and I was realizing that I had been a bit too harsh on him. It had been three weeks since I started working with him now and I realized that I had been wrong in my first impression of him.

I tapped my heeled foot in time to Chopin's Funeral March, but kept my eyes on my computer screen as I heard some noises in the reception area out front where Anthea worked. In my head I counted down and within thirteen more seconds, as if on cue, the door to my office banged open loudly, the door bouncing back off of the door jamb from the force of the impact. It was overly dramatic but I couldn't be too critical about it as it was the same thing I had done to Mycroft's office door on the first day we had met. As I had been expecting it, I didn't even jump in the slightest and I looked over at my door to find a furious posh man looming in the doorway. Mycroft stood there in all this three piece suited glory, his mouth drawn into a hard line and his eyes ablaze, his eyebrows furrowed deeply. I raised one perfectly arched eyebrow at the man that was the British government, minimizing my game of Solitaire that I was halfheartedly paying attention to and I swiveled in my chair, placing my hands of my desk and folding my hands as I crossed my legs and the ankle and set my shoulders back, giving Mycroft my full, undivided attention as if he had just caught me in the middle of something important.

"Ah Mycroft," I said as if I wasn't expecting a six foot two furious posh man to burst into my office. "To what do I owe this enormous pleasure of you thundering into my office?" I asked Mycroft, smiling a bit at him as he strode into my office angrily and up to my desk.

"You know why," Mycroft spat at me and rather than playing stupid which I knew he wouldn't by for a single second, I decided to toy with him instead. I raised my fingers to my lips and frowned, pulling a thoughtful face as I drummed my fingers on my lips, looking up at the ceiling thoughtfully as I did so. I hummed and pulled a few faces before I shrugged and looked back at him, lowering my hands back down to the desk.

"Hmm? Nope, nothing is coming to mind. Oh no wait!" I told him, pointing at him suddenly and humming again as I nodded, as if I was suddenly remembering something. I ignored Mycroft's murderous look as I continued on. I had met some people a lot scarier than Mycroft before. He hardly phased me these days. The only man who had ever managed to frighten me had been… well he was dead now.

"Baskerville is a secure military facility. My brother and Alexandria have no business there,' Mycroft shouted at me and I nodded, humming a little as I made a thoughtful face.

"You're right, Baskerville is a secure military facility," I told Mycroft with a sweet smile. "Except it isn't as secure as it could be since I managed to get them into it. As for your brother and Lexi, because it is Lexi and not Alexandria," I reminded Mycroft as I stood up, pushing a few papers around on my desk while I did so and looking over them before I looked back up at Mycroft. "If I want to let them in than I can let them in. Honey…," I told him as I walked around my desk and he stood to his full height as I joined him on the other side. I leaned against the edge of my desk, not even flinching as he loomed over me.

I had gotten over my aversion to people that were taller than me years ago. Of course it helped that I could kill someone in several different ways with my bare hands. When Lexi had been frightened after being kidnapped by her serial killer I had given her her confidence back by training her. I had taken mine back by training myself. You couldn't take everything back that had been stolen from you but at some point you couldn't live in fear any more. Nineteen years later and I no longer feared the past. I was the person I was today because of the experiences I lived through. That's why when I met Lexi, a girl abused by her father for years I saw a bit of myself in her and I took her under my wing. She had changed an awful lot since then but it was for the better. That army doctor and detective made her better. She was happier than I had ever seen her before and I was grateful to the both of them for that. John Watson was a good man and I had yet to meet him in person but I already like him. I hadn't actually met Sherlock yet either but I had seen him and he me and I had at least waved to him. I had been dropping Lexi's bag off with her since she had left it with me in the cab when she had run off with him to the case. I had met her landlady briefly in passing too. She had offered me tea while Lexi and the boys were out which I accepted. Baker Street was a nice place and I could be assured that Lexi was well taken care of.

To be honest I was just like Mycroft when it came to Lexi. I was like he was with Sherlock. Lexi was like a little sister to me. I could control security cameras all day if only to be assured that she was safe. In fact sometimes I did do it while I was at work here just to make sure. I caught Sherlock looking up at the ones I was controlling every so often as if he knew. He glared at them so he probably assumed they were being controlled by Mycroft. I didn't care as long as I knew that Lexi was safe and happy. She had already had far too many encounters with assassins and CIA killers who had been dealt with accordingly. That had been one meeting them had never wished to ever have in their lives. Lexi had also encountered James Moriarty, a psychopath and Consulting Criminal. Lexi had already told me about him in full detail. She explained to me about what had happened the first time she, John, and Sherlock had met him, about the game he had played with them, including his use of the nickname her grandfather and Alistair used to call her and how he had injured her. Mycroft had yet to tell me about Moriarty but it was on my list of subjects that I had to bring up. According to Lexi Moriarty had been trying to get Mycroft's attention recently. It was only a matter of time before this Moriarty fellow heard about me.

He seemed like the sort of person who might want to have a chat with me. Of course our chat would be a lot different than the ones he was used to having. I was used to negotiating with be. Consulting Criminals were something different than I was used to handling but I worked with just about every type of government. My record wasn't exactly clean either when it came to criminal activity. If I had to define myself I would have to say I was sort of grey character. I wasn't exactly a morally bad person but I wasn't entirely good either. I could make a bad decision if I had to, if it could help others for the greater good. My morals had always been a bit…skewed. Oh but this Moriarty fellow would have a lot to fear, especially coming from me. If there was one thing you should know about me was that if you hurt the people I cared about there wasn't a safe place for you to stand. You could run, you could hide, but there wasn't a rock you could crawl under where I couldn't find you. You couldn't snivel or plead enough for your life. I wasn't moved by it. Moriarty had hurt Lexi, he threatened John and Sherlock and while I didn't know the army doctor or the detective well, Lexi loved Sherlock and she cared for John and thus they were under my protection.

"Honey…," I said again as I looked up at Mycroft gritting my teeth a bit as I drew in a deep breath before continuing. "As far as your government is concerned I have unlimited power, access, and control. I have more authority than you do," I told Mycroft and he looked down his nose at me, seething. I sighed, shaking my head a bit. "Once you learn that fact we'll have a lot fewer problems. You don't own me Mycroft Holmes…," I said slowly, pronouncing each and every syllable as I drew myself up to my full height and stared up at him and he frowned slightly as his expression changed to one that I couldn't read. "I am sure that is a very new concept for you which is why I am trying to be patient with you but you are testing my limits. It's better for you to learn the concept rather quickly," I told him as he actually backed down a bit and took a step away from me. "I am not your PA. I am not Anthea. I don't have to listen to you, in fact, my profession has seen to it that I never have to listen to anyone again if I chose not to. Don't think for one second that you can control me or bully me like you do everyone else. I do what I like. If you don't like that you can go to your government and you can tell them why it is that you don't want my help. I'm sure they would love to hear why you don't want my help," I told Mycroft and he looked very surprised to have been stood up to and I got the impression that it didn't happen often. I decided that while I had his attention I would try to call a halfway truce, at least for now. "Look Mycroft," I said, using his actual name, not a demeaning nickname for him. That was a bit childish and unprofessional of me. It was however the way I acted. It was just me. "Honey…," I said, saying it softer as I hopped up onto my desk and folded my hands into my lap. "I give my help to governments not because I think I can do a better job or because I think that they are idiots who don't know how to run things. It's an extra hand. The American government fucked up more times than I can count. They were in debt, national crisised, scandals and I was there cleaning everything up. That's what I do. I sit and I help. I've acquired skills that can make me an asset and thus I use them, but I give my help to those I chose to. I've chosen to give my help to the British government," I explained to Mycroft, trying to impress upon him that fact. I knew that he didn't think highly of me, but that was just because he probably didn't know much about me. He knew about as much as he had heard.

"Why? Why would you help us? You're American?" Mycroft asked me in an almost pleasant tone of voice and I hummed slightly as I tilted my head to the side thoughtfully and I smiled slightly at him.

"Yes and no," I responded in a perfect British accent. "I'm an intelligence agent Mycroft. I'm not American. I have no ties to any Nation, any government, or any country," I told him and he snorted at me as he watched me curiously.

"And I guess the only rules that matter are your own. Normal laws don't apply to you?" He scoffed and I shook my head at him, fixing him with a look as I rolled my eyes.

"Oh is this about the felon thing again?" I asked him and I shook my head. "Look okay… I told him as I hopped off of my desk. "Most government systems are corrupted. You have the really good politicians in any government who actively want to help the people and then you have the politicians who only care about lining their pockets. I've been here for three weeks already honey. I've watched your parliament meetings. Lords and Ladies. It's all a bloody power play," I told him as I crossed my arms over my chest and turned my back on him. "Laws were made by men in suits who wanted to help themselves. The people were never given an active voice. I know what you think of me Mycroft," I told him as I turned back around to find him watching me with a half angry half curious expression. "You think I am just some woman who waltzed in here who thought she knew best, who thought she was all powerful and could tell you what to do. You think I am a silly woman. You don't want to listen to me, I know that. Don't think I don't. Hardly any government wants to listen to me. You aren't the first. But I called myself Lady Liberty for a reason and whether you want me here or not, I'm staying," I told Mycroft boldly as he watched me with an unreadable expression. "Lexi is like a sister me. Your brother nearly broke her…," I told him, shaking my head sadly. "I could have stayed in America but I wasn't going to leave her. So here is what is going to happen," I told Mycroft firmly. "You and I can continue fighting and going at each other's throats daily or you can accept the fact that you are no longer the only one in this office that is in control. Because what gets put on your desk goes through me first. Anything you work on I get notified about. Important matters, yeah hello I get to know about those. That includes negotiations. And I don't want to be fighting with you on everything because if that is the case I will go above your head and I will shut you out if needed. You've worked this positon, in fact you've put a lot of work into it and I respect that but you aren't the final voice and you can't make all the decisions for a country. Tone down the pompous British government vibes just a little bit and for God sakes would it kill you to smile every now and then?" I asked Mycroft and he stared at me for a long moment with a blank expression before he turned on his heel and walked out of my office, shutting the door behind him. It clicked closed and I stood there dumbfounded, staring at the closed door, unsure of how exactly that went. I hadn't said anything insulting, we hadn't yelled at each other, in fact, he hadn't actually said much of anything. I shook my head in confusion before I returned behind my desk and picked up my phone, texting my Irish friend.

**Sherlock's brother is the weirdest man I have ever met in my life…but I think I sort of like him.**

**Mycroft's POV**

Mycroft stood with his back to Joanna's closed door feeling beyond shocked for the first time in his life. He had never been spoken to in such a way before. Once Mycroft could do more than just stand there he walked to his office and shut himself in, not even looking at Anthea who had shot him a curious look. She of course was wondering how the meeting had gone as she hadn't heard any arguing coming from Joanna's open office for once. Anthea felt hopeful that maybe her boss and Miss Reyer might be getting along a bit better. They hadn't been arguing nearly as badly for the last week, ever since they had been handcuffed together. Sure they had argued over whose fault it was that they had been locked up, but since then they had been more civil towards each other. Mycroft crossed over to his desk and sat down heavily in his chair, wondering what Joanna Reyer was because she certainly was no mortal woman. Standing at only 5'1 Joanna only stood to the middle of his chest but Mycroft was starting to notice certain things about her over the last week. It all started since they were locked up together. They had been fighting less since then. It wasn't that they had any change of heart or saw things differently, in fact Mycroft was still sure that she was his own personal tormentor, but something had changed in him.

The change had come ever since she had fallen onto his shoulder while laughing. Since he had caught a whiff of something feminine and floral that was coming off of her pulse point and just radiating off of her due to the close proximity. The scent of a woman was not something Mycroft often came in contact with. Occasionally he would catch the smell of Anthea's perfume but he never really got that close to his PA, not liking human contact much. The change had also come since he had leaned in closer towards her and she towards him. Of course he would never know what he might have done or what she might have done in that moment as they had been interrupted and Mycroft was thankful for that fact as he didn't want to know, but something had changed. She still infuriated him, still made his blood boil, but she was starting to get under his skin with her bright blue eyes and infectious smile. Something was changing in him, not for the worse but for the better. Mycroft's uncaring shell was starting to crack as Joanna pushed and shoved her way into his life, demanding attention. She was an unrelenting force and she was not someone that could easily be ignored. Caring was not an advantage…that was something Mycroft had taught himself long ago, but maybe it wasn't a complete disadvantage either.


	5. A Different Sort Of Goldfish

**Hello sweeties and welcome to the next chapter. I know, Joanna is getting at Mycroft and I hate that too but she has actual reasons behind it. In this chapter we find out why and our little government officials come to an understanding. It's also the first bit of fluff between them as she slowly starts to wear down his walls. Ah my little babies. They become friends first after fighting before there is any romance. **

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><p><strong>Mycroft's POV<strong>

Footsteps. All Mycroft could hear was constant footsteps coming from the office beside his own. They were heavy footfalls made from heels connecting with wooden floors. From the way the heel made contact with the floor Mycroft deduced that the person walking was in some sort of distress and thus the cause of their repeated pacing. Mycroft put the papers he was trying to work on for the upcoming elections down with a heavy sigh and rubbed his face tiredly. He had gotten here before everyone else this morning and he had been working nonstop with hardly any break. Joanna was normally in most mornings even before him, already working it seemed when it came in but this morning she had come in late, looking hardly put together. He had been talking to Anthea at the time and she had walked hurriedly past him but not before he noticed her red puffy eyes. She looked as if she had been crying recently. She had then shut herself up in her office. He hadn't seen her all day and only Anthea had gone in once to bring her some tea before returning with the mug she wouldn't take. The day before she had seemed alright, even going so far as to tell him how he didn't "own" her. Mycroft was beginning to deduce several thing about the thorn in his side. One was that she didn't like to be used. She also seemed to think that she was helping him for whatever reason. Well, he didn't need help and he never asked for it. He had been doing fine before she had come and now he had to deal with her on top of everything else. He still had long hours trying to run the country, of course Mycroft didn't realize just how many nights he was going home earlier than usual lately. Mycroft knew what he was doing and he was completely competent enough to run the British government without some consultant's help. That was after all Miss Reyer was. Hadn't he worked his backside off and worked to get the right connections for years to get where he was today?

Mycroft was broken out of his thoughts once more when he heard a few heavier footfalls. He sighed once again. Mycroft normally was not a man that cared about the emotions of others. He cared about his brother's and Lexi's mental wellbeing but not other people. There was something however that was bothering Joanna and thus it was bothering Mycroft as her incessant pacing was disturbing his ability to get his work done. It was affecting his ability to think as his thoughts kept coming round to her. Mycroft rose from his chair and walked from around his desk, going out to hallway. He looked up as he heard the clock chime and realized just how late it was actually getting. He hadn't eaten yet either as he had been so caught up in his paperwork. Anthea had already gone home for the night. Why was Joanna even still here? Mycroft went and stood in front of her office door, listening as she continued to pace. He didn't know what possessed him to do so but he raised his right hand and rapped on her door thrice in quick succession. Even more surprising to him was that he heard her voice call out to him as initiation to enter. It didn't hold her normal haughty tone or teasing quality like when she called him honey. It was soft and a bit hoarse and just a tad bit unnatural.

Mycroft slowly pushed her office door open and when he walked inside his eyes widened slightly at what he saw inside before he composed himself. Both Joanna and her office were in a right state. Books and papers were strewn about her desk and all over the floor and amongst all the chaos she was pacing like a caged animal. She looked disheveled and her hair was wild. She was wearing a pair of black slacks, a light green blouse, and an oversized grey waterfall cardigan which she had wrapped around herself. She was hugging herself securely around her middle and her hair had been in a bun earlier but was mostly falling out of her. Her skin was normally glowing and her cheeks usually were quite rosy but today they looked ashen and she had dark circles under her eyes. In twenty four hours she had gone from looking like a confident woman with fire behind her eyes as she went on a whole rant about how he didn't own her and he could bully her around to looking like a woman who had taken on far more than she could handle. He knew the look. In fact he had often looked quite like her, well not exactly, but he had felt like her on the inside after he had first gotten his current position.

"Not right now honey," Joanna told him, not even looking at him as she continued to pace through the mess on the floor of her office. "I don't want to fight with you," She told him, her voice sounding slightly thick as she looked up at him for the first time and Mycroft saw that her eyes were still red and puffy as they had been that morning. She had obviously been crying and recently as well. She looked away from him and brought her hands up to her temples, rubbing them in small circles. Mycroft was shocked as he had never heard that tone of voice from her before. Most of their conversations had been in the form of arguments in the past but she sounded tired and just overwhelmed right now.

"I didn't come to fight with you," Mycroft told her, finding his own voice and she stopped pacing suddenly and turned to stare at him blankly. "I heard you pacing and came to see if you were alright," Mycroft told her and she tilted her head to the side and studied him for a moment before she wrapped her arms around herself again. It was a defensive gesture. Joanna looked away from him, sniffing slightly before she looked back.

"Why would you care?" She asked him and Mycroft was caught off guard by her question. "All we ever do is fight," She continued, shaking her head sadly as Mycroft watched her. "I'm the thorn in your side that you are forced to listen to. I came in here to your office and I started ordering you around. I'm no better than you. I've done everything to you I told you not to do to me and I had no right to. You worked exceptionally hard to get where you are and you work harder than anyone else I have ever seen before. Lexi told me about you before and I just always thought you were this posh government official who was like all the others and abused his power but you don't. I was wrong about you and I've done nothing but fight with you and make your job harder since I've been here. By all rights you should hate me and I wouldn't blame you for that because most people do," Joanna finished and Mycroft saw her normal composure slip away. In front of him he saw a woman who was very vulnerable and very hurt by something. He also saw a woman who had helped Lexi and shaped her into the woman she was today. He saw a woman who cared, someone who hid behind a mask so as not to let this woman through because she could get hurt. Mycroft realized then that he had several options for how this meeting could continue but only one of them he could conceive doing.

"I don't hate you," Mycroft told her honestly, letting his general noncaring composure slip away. He wasn't as cold as everyone thought he was. He did feel like everyone else but emotions made you weak and in a job like his he had to seem above emotions as they could easily be used against you. Nobody was your friend when you worked in the government. Joanna had been right about politicians who strove to line their own pockets. Mycroft actually cared about helping the people, cared about bettering the British sovereignty. He was rarely ever not working though so he never really got the chance to show his emptions. That was what had earned him the name "The Iceman." Behind closed doors Mycroft was a different person. There was just something about this woman that was different and maybe it was the fact that she was the first person that Mycroft couldn't deduce. He had been able to deduce Lexi, the only person his brother couldn't deduce, but upon meeting Joanna he had been met with a blank slate. He couldn't tell even a single thing about her. She was entirely a mystery to him, especially with her rapidly changing emotions. "I may not be entirely fond of you, but I don't hate you," Mycroft told a stunned Joanna who frowned at him deeply in confusion. Her nose wrinkled as she frowned which Mycroft suddenly found oddly attractive. "You do your job well from what I have seen and you don't let people walk all over you which is a trait I can be appreciative of. The position you hold is not an easy one and for someone of your age you've managed to do quite well for yourself. I may not be fond of you, but I can commend you for doing so well for yourself. Obtaining such a position of power is not an easy accomplishment and I of course would be one who would understand that," Mycroft told her nodding slightly and she inhaled deeply before she finally spoke again.

"Wow…," She said as she let out a shaky laugh. "That's not exactly what I was expecting to hear. Not what people normally say either," She told him as she unwrapped her arms from around herself.

"And what do people normally say?" Mycroft asked her curiously and she smiled at him suddenly, with a bit of a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Piss off," She told him and Mycroft held back his amused smirk before he frowned. "You seem upset. Would you care to talk about it?" Mycroft asked her and she shook her head at him, wrapping her arms around herself again as she got that sad expression on her face again, her mirth from only a few seconds before hand already gone.

"No. Besides you really wouldn't want to hear about it," Joanna told him as she turned her back on him and walked over to her desk, picking up one of her discarded books and shutting it properly before she placed it on the edge of her desk neatly.

"I insist," Mycroft told her and she turned back to him with a few papers in her hands which she was trying to organize.

"I said no," She told him shortly and Mycroft inhaled sharply. He was trying to be nice and she was once again making things difficult for him.

"And I care to hear what you have to say," Mycroft told her before he gestured to one of her arm chairs by her fireplace. "Sit," He ordered her and she stopped what she was doing and stared at him. Mycroft realized after he said it that he had ordered her, something he found he should never do.

Joanna threw her papers down onto her desk and turned to him fully, drawing herself up to her full height and arching one of her eyebrows at him and Mycroft steeled himself for the shouting match that was about to occur. He was hoping that they had just made some sort of progress but apparently not. In truth he actually did not like arguing with Joanna. In fact he had hoped that maybe they might be able to become friends. She was an intelligent young woman that much he could tell and despite the circumstances of why she was here, he saw no reason why he should at least be able to have an intelligent conversation with her. People were generally so ordinary and dull but she was a mystery to him and interesting. He lived in a word of goldfish but she swam about the pond of life to her own little song. Mycroft was of course not a goldfish but some exotic breed of fish, rare and above the common rabble. He had always known this to be true, especially in his younger years when he had been around other children. Mycroft was surprised therefore when instead of shouting at him, Joanna narrowed her eyes at him before marching over to the chair he gestured to and sat in it, folding her arms over her chest. Mycroft stared at her in shock over the fact that she had actually listened to him and she watched him.

"Well are you going to come and sit or are you just going to stare at me?" Joanna asked him huffily after a moment, breaking Mycroft out of his thoughts. "You were the one who wanted to know so badly," Joanna added and Mycroft nodded at her before he walked over to the chair opposite her with as much grace as he could muster. He sat down, moving the cushion out of the way and stared across at the woman who still had her arms crossed over her chest. She blew a stray piece of hair out of her eyes, still looking irritated but her expression was softening by the second. Her eyes, even bloodshot and puffy were still a remarkable shade of blue that Mycroft had never seen before.

"So," Mycroft said, inclining his head towards he and she lowered her arms, hugging herself again as she looked away from him and into the dying embers of her fire as she let out a deep sigh.

"My eldest brother died years ago today," Joanna said as she finally looked back at him and Mycroft sad there as the weight of her words hit him. "Well I guess you deserve a bit more than that since you even cared to know what was wrong," She said before she took a deep breath, drawing her legs up onto the seat with her and hugging them to her chest. "I was born in the Bronx in not so nice an area. My Mum she didn't even want me. She left my Dad and she left me behind. Dad owned a pawn shop and we lived in a two bedroom apartment in the worst area imaginable. I shared a room with my three older brothers," Joanna started off and she smiled slightly as Mycroft listened to her story about her life. "Mum didn't even want to name me but they were all there, dad was off God only knows where, and they each chose a part of my name which is why it is long and terrible," She said, chuckling slightly.

"Joanna isn't terrible, it's far better than Mycroft at least," Mycroft told her in an attempt to make her feel better and she shook her head at him slightly.

"Joanna isn't my real name though," She told him and Mycroft frowned at her in confusion. "I'm an intelligence agent honey," She explained before she shook her head again. "I changed it to Joanna once I first started working. Reyer isn't even my real last name. That's a whole other story though honey and not one I want to have now," She told him and Mycroft nodded in understanding. She was opening up to him and at least telling him this much. He wasn't going to push and force her to tell him more than she was comfortable with. It made since though. Most intelligence agents had different names than the ones they were born with. The thought had never occurred to him that Joanna might not be her actual name. Did Lexi know?" Anyway," Joanna said, slightly uncomfortably before she continued. "Desmond was the oldest. He was thirteen years older than me. Then there was Liam. He was nine years older than me. Theo was the youngest at only seven years older than I was. They were fiercely protective of me especially since dad brought his skank girlfriends in and out of the flat every day. It was a new one every week. They kept the harsh truths of the word from me. I was a normal little girl. As normal as can be. When they were in school Desmond had our downstairs neighbor watch me. She was an older woman, a bit like the African American version of Mrs. Hudson. She was from the South and loved me to bits. Dad was never around much so it was mostly just my brothers and I. It never mattered to them that I was just their half-sister," Joanna told him with a little shrug as she stared into the dying fire. "When Des was seventeen he got a job to support the four of us. Dad never left us much money for food. I would have been four. Li was just thirteen. Theo was eleven and I was starting kindergarten. Those boys were strict when it came to my education. When Li was sixteen he also got a job to help Des take care of us. I was seven, top of my class, not that they would have anything less. They wanted me to get out of there some day. That was the year my father was killed. He owed some guys money and never paid. He was killed in a robbery gone wrong. Des and Li worked to take care of us. Des was in college on a scholarship, working two jobs, Li was working two jobs and in high school and Theo and I were doing what we could to help out. It worked though and we had each other," Joanna told him and Mycroft could tell that she had been really close to her brothers. The way she spoke though told him that something had befallen them all. "I was fifteen when Desmond was twenty-eight. He decided to join the Army. Liam was twenty-four, Theo was twenty-two. They could take care of me with him gone. Desmond always felt like he had to take care of us all. Within three months he was deployed to Afghanistan and two months later he was killed. Road side bombing. Liam and him were so close and Liam just couldn't cope after everything. Desmond was given a heroes burial. He saved twenty civilians, most of them children, but he sacrificed himself. Liam turned to drugs and Theo and I found him one night…," Joanna said, reaching up and brushing a few tears away that had fallen. Mycroft wordlessly got up and poured her and himself a drink and handed her off a glass of the amber liquid. Bourbon, a fine liquor, actually one of his favourites. He took his seat again and she shot him a thankful look as she took a sip of the drink he had poured her, her hands shaking badly. After she lowered her glass she continued, her voice a bit thick with tears now. "Theo and I got by alright. We kept close to each other because it was only the two of us left. One night I got a call though. He had been in the subway and he was ah…killed during a mugging," Joanna said wiping away more tears. "I was on my own. I was seventeen. I had finished high school and was working two jobs but I was alone. I lost all three of my brothers in just over a year. I got a full ride to college. I went, the boys wanted me to go to college. I was getting my degree in Computer Science when I meet Carlos," Joanna said and her voice darkened when she said his name and her knuckles grew white as she tightened her hand around her glass. Mycroft knew enough about women and human emotions to know that this was more than just a past lover where the relationship had gone sour and he got a sinking feeling in his gut when he saw the look in her eyes. It was almost haunted, the sort of look a kicked dog got. "Carlos was twenty five. He lived around where I did. He was a smooth talker and I was taken in by him. Of course at eighteen I would be. He was the first guy to tell me all the sweet things I wanted to hear. I thought it was better too. He convinced me to quit one of my jobs. Told me he could take care of me. I was able to go to school, spend more time studying. Then he convinced me to quit my other job. I didn't realize he was slowly making me dependent on him. I gave up everything to him, even my virginity," Joanna said, saying it so composedly before she took a deep drink. Mycroft clenched his teeth, feeling anger for an unknown reason.

Mycroft had experimented in University with women, once with a male. He was by no means unknowledgeable when it came to the topic of intercourse. He had several partners over his adult years that had been relationships for nothing more than casual sex too. Mycroft knew however that this man had done nothing but exploit the fact that Joanna was young and naive to take advantage of her. He could now understand why she didn't like people ordering her around or controlling her. He used to think it was because she always had to be in control but now he knew it was because someone used to dominate her, used to control everything she did.

"It wasn't so bad, until he started hitting me, and throwing me around, and yelling at me," Joanna said suddenly bringing him back to the present and Mycroft felt like he had been punched in the gut. Oh God…that explained why she told him he didn't own her and couldn't bully her around. He didn't control her. "One night he came home drunk, drunker than he had ever been. He was angry because I had been studying and didn't get his dinner ready for him. I also had been refusing to have sex with him again. Well…you are an intelligent man…I don't have to spell it out for you," Joanna told him and she looked away from him as rage boiled under Mycroft's skin.

"He raped you?!" Mycroft asked her angrily and she hummed before looking back at him.

"Well you know, they don't call it that if you are in a relationship with the guy," Joanna told him and she shook her head bitterly. "I tried to go to the police. I tried to get out of there. They wouldn't do anything about it. I was told I should be grateful he was taking care of me because if not I could be out on the streets or dead somewhere in an alley. I was scared. I was eighteen with no way out. So I stayed with him," Joanna told him and Mycroft looked away from her, his hand tightening around his glass to the point where he worried he would break it. "When I was nineteen I found my opportunity. Stole all the bastard's money and I ran away," Joanna told him and then she smiled to herself. "That's when I became Joanna Reyer. It's how I got my start. I didn't know what I wanted to be but I left college with some computer skills. I had been top of all my classes. I had always been a bright child. In fact my brothers had to find ways to keep me busy. Growing up in the Bronx I picked up on skills that normal people wouldn't. I knew how to steal cars, pickpockets…Yes honey I was a felon," Joanna told him as Mycroft looked at her sheepishly. "I didn't have a plan. I traveled the U.S. I found people. I got them to teach me what they knew. Some were University professors and some were your average Joe's. I learnt hacking, cryptology, symbology, a bunch of criminal skills. Eventually it caught up with me. I was picked up by the American government after a disagreement with me hacking their servers. They popped me in a jail cell. I broke out. It was easy enough to slip by their security cameras and get past their guards and codes. I lived on the streets," Joanna said proudly while Mycroft stared at her in shock. "They found me again at which point they offered me an ultimatum. They knew they couldn't incarcerate me so they offered me a job. I was trained for the FBI and the CIA. Only problem was I learnt a little too well. I became a deadly assassin. I was twenty one and I could already kill you in a variety of imaginative ways. And then I realized that they couldn't hold me and I had more skills than they could possibly imagine. I created a code. It was a test to see what I could do. I put the American government at a standstill for twenty four hours until I fixed it. The entire country didn't know what was going on. Nothing worked. They thought it was a terrorist plot. I realized I could, if I wanted to, take down the government with just a few lines of code. So I made them a deal. I got full immunity, they didn't own me, and I walked free. They took it. America told other governments about me. They soon learnt that I was dangerous if I wanted to be. I went in to be a watch dog of sorts. Governments become corrupted over too much time and no one is there for the people to make sure that they have their interest at heart. I went in, got rid of the corrupt officials and sorted everything out but I also helped them. Scandals, economics problems, I started using my skills for good. I could make governments run more officially. Soon they wanted my help. I was twenty two when I was helping Ireland out. I met Lexi then in a pub and she was sixteen. I found out about her father, gave her advice, helped her and I told her that if she ever needed me I was there for her," Joanna told him as Mycroft took a sip of his drink, the burning liquid sliding smoothly down his throat and warming him up from the inside. "I learnt more skills over time. I got my degrees as my brother wanted. I now hold four Master's degrees in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, and Physics," Joanna told him and Mycroft once again found himself shocked. He knew she was intelligent but he never quite expected that. "Honey…I could topple any government in the world if I wanted to," Joanna said bitterly and Mycroft realized she wasn't actually proud of that fact. "When I met Lexi she was so young and so incredibly smart and still so naive but she knew how harsh the world could be at the same time. I knew she was it. I knew that if anyone could do some good in this world it was her. So I taught her what I knew. I thought maybe if I passed on my knowledge to her she could use those skills for good and that might make me a better person. The way they all make me sound is like I'm thus dangerous person and I guess I am or I guess I could be. You know I've only ever killed one person," Joanna admitted and Mycroft looked up at her sharply at this. "I went back to Carlos just to see what he had become. He was with a girl named Lucy. She was nineteen. He was doing the same thing to her that he had done to me. He is the only man I've ever killed. It's a good record for an intelligence agent who was trained to be an assassin," Joanna told him with a slight smirk. "I could have anything I want but… there is somethings you can't get by hacking or intimidating people. Love, a family, friends, that's all stuff you need to work for. Hell, I would even give this all up to have a normal life again, but I didn't even know what normal is any more. I've never know what normal is," Joanna told him and Mycroft stared across at the mystery before him, the only mystery up until now that he had ever found to be worth solving.

"I don't believe I know what normal is either," Mycroft told her and Joanna suddenly laughed loudly at that, her eyes twinkling with mirth and Mycroft smiled ever so slightly back at her.

"Guess we're both fucked up then," Joanna told him before she suddenly pointed at him. "Oh my God are you smiling? Are you actually smiling?" She asked him, a brilliant smile of her own on her face and Mycroft shrugged before he took another dainty sip of his drink. "I made Mycroft Holmes smile," Joanna said with a little giggle. "It's a good look on you. I was beginning to think your face was permanently stuck in a frown," She told him before pulling a funny face and taking a sip of her drink.

"You know I was wrong about you," Mycroft said suddenly and Joanna turned to him, blinking at him rapidly in shock. "I thought you were…. I was wrong," Mycroft told her gruffly and Joanna nodded before smiling a bit at him.

"I think what happened was two very proud, very smart people thought they knew everything and they both decided to form impressions of one another before actually getting to know each other," Joanna said and Mycroft nodded in agreement. "Well we might have spent the last three weeks shouting at each other, but I would like to purpose that we start over," Joanna told him, setting her drink down on the side table by her chair before she stood up, offering her hand to him. "Hello, I'm Joanna Reyer," She introduced herself and Mycroft smiled slightly in amusement before he put his own glass down and stood up, taking her tiny hand in his own. Her hand was very soft and his larger hand engulfed her own.

"Mycroft Holmes," He introduced himself and she smirked up at him before he felt terribly awkward, not knowing where this meeting was going.

"Well Mycroft Holmes," Joanna said, nudging him in the arm with the same smile which reached her eyes this time and she reached up, pulling her hair down and it fell in loose waves around her that almost mesmerized Mycroft for a minute. "How would you like to give up for the night and go eat some frankly not terrible pizza with me?" She asked him and Mycroft stood there frozen. Was she asking him out? She wanted to spend time with him outside of work? No one…well no one ever did. Not even Anthea had ever suggested that they just go out. Sometimes she would spend the holidays with him but he didn't do outings.

"I don't think…," Mycroft began before Joanna made a pouty face.

"Please?" She begged him. "Honey… I don't want to be alone right now and I was just starting to like talking to you without actually fighting. Come on," She told him and Mycroft sighed heavily, knowing that he was not going to dissuade her.

"Very well," He agreed and he was rewarded with one of her bright smiles again.

"Wonderful," She told him before she walked over and grabbed her coat. She ushered him out the door and Mycroft stopped and grabbed his own coat and scarf before he left with her. She led him outside and Mycroft was wondering where she was going when she walked straight over to a red motorbike. "Are you coming?" She asked him, raising one of her eyebrows as she unlocked the back storage container and pulled put two helmets.

"On that thing?" Mycroft asked her as he joined her beside the bike, looking it over.

"What else?" She asked him, rolling her eyes slightly.

"It's unsafe!" Mycroft protested and Joanna chuckled slightly as she passed a helmet to him.

"Okay honey, I'm going to stop you right there," She told him as she touched his shoulder and Mycroft looked down at her hand in surprise. Normally people didn't touch him either. This day was odd for him. First he talked with someone voluntarily, now he was accepting human contact and spending time with someone that wasn't required. He was also feeling. Dear God what was this woman doing to him? "It's perfectly safe. I will be driving and I promise you I will not get you hurt. The British government will be perfectly fine," Joanna told him, patting his arm before she put her helmet on and got on the bike, swinging her leg over it and sitting on it as she waited for him expectantly. "I promise Mycroft…," She told him and Mycroft looked down at his attire. His suit would be absolutely ruined. Not to mention it was unsafe…but she was waiting for him. With a heavy sigh he put the blasted helmet on before looking at her.

"Where do I…?" He asked her in confusion and she grinned at him before pointing behind her. She wanted him to sit behind her? Mycroft gulped before he carefully slid onto the bike which she held steady. As soon as he was seated awkwardly behind her, closer to another person than he had been in a very long time, she kicked down suddenly and the bike roared to life underneath them.

"You might want to hold on honey," Joanna told him and Mycroft looked around for where he was supposedly supposed to hang on.

"Where?" He asked her when his search came up with no strap or anything to hold onto.

"My waist," She told him, leaning back and smirking at him and Mycroft blanched.

"Excuse me?" He asked her and she laughed brightly.

"My waist," She told him again before reaching back with one hand, the other used to keep the bike steady, and she wrapped his hands around her waist. He held them there tentatively, his palms getting a bit sweaty as she returned her hands to the handle bars. Before Mycroft could protest, she speed off from the curb and onto the darkened streets of London and Mycroft tightened his loose grip on her small waist. It was tiny in his hands and he had almost forgotten the fact that women had very noticeable curves.

The bike ride was terrifying. Joanna quickly whipped through what little traffic there was on the streets, by the time they arrived at the pizza restaurant she had wanted to go to, Mycroft was ready to get off of the infernal contraption that he wouldn't even classify as transport but rather a death trap on wheels. Joanna giggled before she led him inside the small pizza shop which was not his normal establishment. It was a hole in the wall and a bit dingy. He was over dressed in his three piece suit and he felt like some ruffian was going to mug him at any moment as they slid into a booth together after Joanna ordered something at the counter. Mycroft couldn't care at this point though. He was actually quite hungry and he had just survived that ride from Hell. A large Peperoni pizza was brought over to them and a few plates with a pitcher of water and some cups and Joanna dug in as Mycroft carefully lifted a slice being careful to not get the grease on himself. He took a bite and the taste was actually quite heavenly. It was actually better than the pizza he got in most of the restaurants he went to. He frozen suddenly when he heard a phone and he looked up to see Joanna talk a picture of him and he felt self-conscious suddenly and he quickly put his food down. Sherlock had done nothing but pick on him for his weight for the last several years. He should have known she would be the same. Could he not just enjoy something?

"Sorry, sorry," Joanna apologize as she giggled slightly and hid her mouth with her hand. "It's just… you have to be the poshest man I have ever seen eating pizza in my life," Joanna explained to him and Mycroft suddenly realized what it must look like to him and he surprised himself by letting out a small chuckle as he picked up his slice again.

"I would believe so," Mycroft told her and she threw her head back, laughing and then shook her head at him.

"How does that work though?" She asked him and Mycroft hummed questioningly as he was currently chewing and it was rude to talk with your mouth full. "Okay you're the British government so you literally are the most British person next to the queen. Should you be drinking tea and I don't know, eating fish and chips or something? Wearing a monocle and top hat? Saying words like cheerio and spiffing?" Joanna asked him as she took a large bite of her pizza and Mycroft swallowed.

"Americans, you have such stereotypes for us," Mycroft told her and she snorted at him and rolled her eyes playfully.

"And you don't?" She asked him. "Americans are all lazy, eat junk food, say "Y'all", and are rude," Joanna told him and Mycroft looked at her thoughtfully for a moment, contemplating her words.

"Touche," He told her and she smirked at him. "You claim you aren't American though," Mycroft pointed out and she shrugged at him.

"I'm French," She told him before nodding slightly. "Canadian French but still French. I grew up in America yes, I was born in American, but I have ties to no countries. I guess I'm looking for one to adopt me, one who is willing to have me," Joanna mused before they lapsed back into silence for several moments. They enjoyed their meal together and Mycroft paid like the gentleman he was before he and Joanna left the establishment. She headed back over towards the bike, but looked over her shoulder at him when he didn't move to join her. "Are you coming? I can drop you off at home," She asked him and Mycroft shook his head at her.

"No thank you. One ride was more than enough. I'll get a cab," Mycroft told her, preferring public transportation to another ride on that monstrosity even if he detested using public forms of transport.

"Alright then. Try to not get killed by any cabbies," Joanna joked before she shook her head. "That bloody case," She said before sighing heavily. "Well um…good night I guess Mycroft. I'll see you tomorrow," Joanna told him as she put her helmet on and swung her leg over her motorbike.

"Good night Miss Reyer," Mycroft told her and she shook her head at him.

"It's Joanna, Mycroft. I think we've gotten to that point now," She told him and Mycroft nodded at her in agreement.

"Quite right," He told her before she kicked her bike on. "Good night then Joanna," He told her and she smiled at him once before she speed off into the night. Mycroft stood there feeling instantly a little lonely without her presence by his side. He sighed before he stepped out towards the curb to hail the approaching cab. It slowed down for him and he climbed inside and gave his address to the driver. Joanna wasn't what she seemed to be. She was completely more than that and she had gotten him to feel. He felt his mobile vibrate in his pocket and he pulled it out to find he had a new text message.

_**Thank you for listening and for being there. I think…well I think I would very much like to be friends with you Mycroft Holmes-JR**_

Attached to the text message was the picture of him eating the pizza and he smirked at how accurate she had been. Yes, he would quite like to be friends with Joanna Reyer too. She was…a different sort of goldfish.


	6. Elevator Maintenance

**Hello sweeties! Another JoCroft prompt. I am just typing them out like crazy. Hopefully I can get the first chapters of my Torchwood and Cabin Pressure one shot crossovers finished this weekend. We'll see. So this one comes from Marci my royally appointed prompateer and it is called Elevator Maintenance and yes Marci that is your official title, you are my prompateer. **

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><p><strong>Mycroft's POV<strong>

Mycroft was tired, very tired. It had gone past midnight and he had just finished getting not only all of his paperwork done, the monstrous pile having been too large to put off any longer and he had also had to finish up the extra work which Sherlock and Alexandria had dumped on his lap earlier from their need to get into Baskerville again. Joanna had worked with him to negotiate and set that up. She had actually grabbed the phone from him, just bursting into his office as if she had just known that Sherlock and Lexi had called him. She had then sat in one of his arm chairs on her laptop, working on hacking Baskerville's security which Mycroft did not approve of in the slightest but he decided it was best to not start arguments with her. He was however fascinated with how she worked. He had never seen someone's fingers move as quickly or as nimbly over a keyboard as hers did and he had taken a peek over her shoulder to see what she was working on and he had been shocked by what she was doing. For once he understood none of it. She had several windows running, lines of computer code being written as well as several servers up and running. It was far more than Mycroft could comprehend but she worked through it as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

Ever since their conversation last night things had been different between them. It was just a little shift in the general mood between them. When Mycroft had come into work that morning at his usual time which was early, normally earlier than Anthea unless she had something she had to set up, he had been surprised to already find Joanna in her office. It was five thirty in the morning and she was already buried elbow deep in paperwork. Her office had been cleared up too and no longer looked like the mess it had the night before. Joanna looked better as well. Her hair was styled down today in light curls with two pins holding back a section of her hair on either side and she only had a light sweep of brown eye shadow over her eyelids which brought out the colour of her blue eyes. She was wearing a brown pinstriped pencil skirt and a white button down shirt with a matching brown pinstriped blazer over it. She had matched this with a pair of brown flats which told Mycroft she had driven her motorbike to work this morning. He didn't know why he cared exactly what she was wearing or how she looked. He never noticed what Anthea was noticing except when she bought something new or maybe wore a new perfume.

Joanna had come out of her office as soon as she heard him moving about in his own and had pleasant told him good morning, even gracing him with one of her bright smiles before she disappeared. Her smile was always a bit mischievous as if she was plotting something and it made Mycroft slightly uncomfortable as he never knew what to expect from her. Mycroft had sighed after she had popped her head into his office and he had gotten started on his paperwork around six, hoping Anthea would be in soon so that he could get a cup of tea. That was when Joanna had suddenly returned with two mugs in her hands. They were not his usual china tea set but instead average mugs, one of which she set down on his desk in front of him before she smirked at him without a word. He realized that the smirk was because there was a printed saying on the mug she had given him. "I can only please one person a day. Today isn't your day. Tomorrow doesn't look good either." Mycroft raised his eyebrow at her questioningly as she just raised her own mug which, upon a subtle sniff Mycroft deduced contained coffee rather than tea. On hers was several marker lines which said, "quiet please" "…wait for it" and "…now you may speak." Mycroft knew that she didn't generally like to be talked to before she had her morning coffee. Little things like that he was starting to pick up on. Joanna smiled at him once more as she lowered her mug and then she turned on her heel and walked off, leaving him alone to his work without even making a comment which they both knew wasn't needed. Mycroft picked up his tea and tried it, finding it to be surprisingly okay. It was a little weak…but it wasn't terrible. She had gotten the amount of milk and sugar right. The friendly gesture left Mycroft more than a little confused but he wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. She was attempting a show of friendship between the two of them and Mycroft did honestly want to try to be friends with her.

The rest of the day had passed normally. They got the call from Sherlock and worked together but before that they had worked separately in their offices. Mycroft had gone to see if she had a few papers he need and she had sorted through her own work for him, acting very pleasant for once as she found what he needed. She was actually smiling and laughing a bit. It was slightly disconcerting but Mycroft was beginning to realize that this was how Joanna actually acted. The way she was acting before was some sort of act. She was also very teasing by nature it seemed and he apparently was her favourite target. Mycroft could tell where Lexi had gotten this bit of her personality from. She was a nice young woman despite this fact now that Mycroft actually understood her which left Mycroft with the question of how old she was again. He knew that she was six years older than Lexi and Lexi was thirty two now which would make her thirty eight. It was impossible for her to be that old though. That would make her only two years younger than him and she looked to be no older than her late twenties or early thirties. She had a few lines about her eyes but she had a youthful appearance unlike him. His job had aged him greatly even if he was only forty, the same age as Dr. Watson. He was an old man, bitter and old and as Joanna had teasingly told him today, grumpy.

Mycroft picked up his umbrella and sighed as he got up and cast one more look over his paperwork. He could finish the last oh…thirty two important papers or so in the morning. He had gotten all those with deadlines done now. It was possible for him to get home in an hour if he was lucky after sending for the car to pick him up and then he could get about three or four hours of sleep before he had to come back in again, five if he came in a little later than normal and then stayed later tomorrow night. That sounded nice. He could stay up and have a cup of tea, maybe a small slice of cake before going to bed. He made for his door and walked out of it and ran directly into someone who was wearing a long brown duster jacket. Mycroft was startled as he looked down and found himself looking into a pair of bright blue eyes as he steadied the person he had walked into who had face planted directly into the middle of his chest.

"Well hello there," Joanna said with a slight laugh as she looked up at him, straightening herself out a bit and pulling the strap of her leather messenger bag further up her shoulder.

"What are you still doing here?" Mycroft asked her in surprise. She should have already been home at this time, in fact she should have been gone hours ago with Anthea. She had been the first one to come in and now she was still here.

"Oh…I just got finished with some papers," Joanna said as she pointed back to her office and waved her hand around. "What about you? I would have thought the British government needed his beauty rest," Joanna teased him and Mycroft rolled his eyes at her and sighed. That was her new way of teasing him since last night. She called him the British government in a way that he wasn't sure was mocking or not.

"I also had papers I needed to finish with," Mycroft told her as she smiled up at him. "Shall I walk you down?" Mycroft offered her, knowing that by social protocol it was only polite to offer to walk a woman to her car. His mother had taught him manners religiously. He had learnt them and stuck by them but Sherlock had never minded his manners.

"I think that would be nice, thank you," Joanna told him and he gestured for her to walk in front of him.

She walked out of the office and both of them walked over to the lift and Mycroft hit the button to call it to their floor. Usually he took the stairs in order to get a bit of exercise but he thought that Joanna would prefer taking the lift. Usually people didn't like taking the stairs. Mycroft actually preferred them. He wasn't found of small spaces but it was only a short trip down three floors and the lift was always kept in perfect condition. Nothing could go wrong. The lift dinged and the doors slid open and Mycroft chivalrously held the door and let Joanna walk in ahead of him before he joined her inside. She pressed the button for the ground floor before the doors slowly slid closed. The two adults remained in a comfortable silence as the lift started to descend at a very slow pace. Suddenly the lights flickered as the lift jolted and Joanna let out a cry of fright and gripped onto the hand rail as did Mycroft as he also reached for the shorter woman.

Mycroft didn't know what possessed him to do it but he pulled the woman across the lift and into his chest, bracing her against himself and bracing himself against the wall since out of the two of them he had more of a chance of not getting thrown about the lift. The lift fell slightly and Joanna shrieked in fear again as she pressed her face into his chest and clutched onto his waist coat tightly before they were plunged into darkness. For a few moments nothing happened and the lift was still and all Mycroft could hear was the sound of Joanna's heavy breathing. When it was apparent that the lift wasn't suddenly going to fall and that they weren't going to go crashing to their deaths, Joanna pulled back from him slightly and Mycroft released his hold on her, clearing his throat slightly at how awkward the moment was. He could make out Joanna running her fingers through her hair in the darkness as his eyes adjusted slightly.

"Are you alright?" Mycroft asked her and she nodded before she seemed to realize that it was hard to actually see anything in the darkness they were stuck in.

"Um…I think so," She told him, sounding just a little breathless. "Are you?" She asked him and Mycroft hummed.

"Apparently. Though I think we are both trapped in this lift," Mycroft told her as he looked towards the doors. They were trapped between the second and first floor and at this time of night it would be hours until help could come. Mycroft sighed loudly in exasperation as he realized that he was going to be trapped in a dark, confined space with Joanna for longer than an hour. "And no one is most likely going to come to our aid for longer than an hour," Mycroft said, breaking the news to the shorter woman who had taken a careful step away from him to put a little bit of space between them.

"Well, I guess we wait then," Joanna said as she reached forward and pressed the emergency button in the dark. Mycroft took out his mobile to call Anthea or one of his other contacts so that they could get help there sooner or even to call the police, but he noticed that he had no cellular service inside of the lift. Of course not. Joanna walked backwards carefully until her back hit the wall of the lift and then she slid down the wall and sat on the floor of the lift. From the sound of rustling reaching his ears Mycroft could tell that she was looking around in her bag for something. A moment later a small light illuminated the small space, casting an eerie glow around it. Joanna's face was illuminated in the light of her mobile as she looked up at him, smiling now. "Oh, that's a bit better. Why don't you sit? This might take a while," Joanna suggested and Mycroft looked down at the floor of the lift which was most likely dirty before he looked at his suit.

"No, I don't think I will thank you," Mycroft told her as he leaned against the wall of the lift and crossed his arms, sighing deeply. He was tired and hungry and he did not need this right now.

"Oh dear God. Please tell me you aren't going to not sit because the floor is dirty?" Joanna asked him and Mycroft looked down at her as she shook her head at him. "Fine. You're lucky I like you," Joanna told him as she suddenly got up and took off her long duster jacket and laid it out on the floor of the lift at his feet. "You can sit on that but I want that coat back. I am very fond of that coat. Desmond got me that coat," Joanna told him as she pointed at him with a stern look on her face again before she slid back down and tucked her legs under her on her right side before she leaned her head back against the wall of the lift and closed her eyes.

Mycroft looked at her for a minute longer before he struggled to sit down. His knees didn't always like it when he sat on the floor which was why he didn't sit on the floor. He pulled his knees up slightly since he was fair taller than Joanna and thus didn't fit inside the lift while sitting as easily as she did. They sat in opposite directions from each other so that they were facing each other. For a few minutes they did nothing but remain there in absolute silence as they listened to the slight groaning and other sounds coming from the elevator shaft which were not at all settling. Mycroft took the time to study Joanna while her eyes were closed as he normally didn't get the chance to. It was rude to stare but staring was necessary for him to make his deductions about her since he couldn't make them from just a quick glance.

Earlier when the lift had fallen slightly and he had instinctually pulled her closer to him to protect her she had clung to him. In fact she had fisted her hand into the material of his waist coat. She had been scared. Not just a little but a lot and she had tried to hide it. Normally she tried to seem so calm and collected and unfazed by things as that was her nature, something beaten into her by her years working as an intelligence agent to not show emotions such as fear, but this had frightened her to the point where she was even willing to cling to him. A part of Mycroft's subconscious registered that he actually liked the fact that he had a woman clinging to him as he held a woman in his arms. It invoked a new set of emotions in him, ones of protectiveness that not even he registered on a conscious level and thus he didn't realize that part of him was staring at Joanna to make sure that she really was alright like she calmed to me. He added a fear of falling and possibly a fear of heights to his growing list of things he had discovered about Joanna Reyer.

This near proximity to her had afforded him several deductions even if a portion of his brain was being spent on panicking and worrying if he was about to die in a small lift with of all people Joanna Reyer. Of course there was no one Mycroft would really want to die with if he was being honest. He quite liked living thank you very much though Joanna was far better company than say dying with his brother would be. She at least was beautiful as compared to his brother. One such deduction that he made was that her perfume was subtle and not overpowering but had a strong and alluring scent to it. He detected notes of vanilla and almonds as well as lime and pear notes. There was a subtle white peony undertone along with just a hint of amber, mahogany and balsamic tonka bean. From this he was able to deduce that she wore Burberry Brit. It was a nice scent on her, the soft floral mixing well with the vanilla and almonds and more fruity notes. In fact it was a scent that was starting to fill the lift since the ventilation had cut off when the power had likewise cut off. A few more groaning noises came from the elevator shaft and Joanna suddenly started humming loudly, trying to drown them out. Then she started singing.

_Le premier bonheur du jour_

_C'est un ruban de soleil_

_Qui s'enroule sur ta main_

_Et caresse mon epaule_

_C'est le souffle de la mer_

_Et la plage qui attend_

_C'est l'oiseau qui a chanté_

_Sur la branche du figuier_

_Le premier chagrin du jour_

_C'est la porte qui se ferme_

_La voiture qui s'en va_

_Le silence qui s'installe_

_Mais bien vite tu reviens_

_Et ma vie reprend son cours_

_Le dernier bonheur du jour_

_C'est la lampe qui s'éteint_

_[Translation_

_The first luck of the day_

_is a ribbon of the sun_

_which loops around your arm_

_and caresses my shoulder_

_It's the breath of the sea_

_and the beach that waits_

_It's the bird that sang_

_on the perch of a fig_

_The first misery of the day_

_Is the door that closes_

_The car that leaves_

_The silence that settles_

_But soon you'll come back_

_and my life gets going_

_The last luck of the day_

_Is the lamp that goes off ]_

Mycroft was shocked not only by how light and airy her voice was as she sang but also how impeccable her French was. She spoke in a perfect accent and pronunciation. Her singing was actually quite enjoyable and in all honestly, better than Mycroft had heard before. She opened her eyes and looked at him sheepishly as if she was just remembering that she wasn't alone.

"Sorry, I sing when I'm nervous," She apologized to him with a slightly embarrassed smile which was not something Mycroft was expecting to see on her face. She always seemed so confident.

"No, it's quite alright," Mycroft assured her. "It was actually rather nice," He told her and she chuckled.

"Then you don't get out much honey," Joanna told him and Mycroft sighed slightly over the fact that she wouldn't accept his compliment. He expected her not to though. She was a stubborn woman. She turned suddenly and started rummaging in her bag again. "Alright, let's see, what assets do we actually have in case we get stuck in here," Joanna said and Mycroft sighed again, this time in exasperation.

"If we just sit and wait someone will come and let us out," Mycroft told her, and she turned to look over at him and rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I know that. Thank you for pointing out the obvious honey," She told him as she started pulling various items out of her bag. "I didn't think they were actually going to leave us in here, though good on them for trying because I would find a way out of here even if I have to crawl up the cables. Preferably it doesn't come to that though. I kind of like this outfit and these shoes," Joanna said, making a face and Mycroft was once again completely unsure how to react to this woman. She changed from moment to moment as did her personality. "I'm talking about assets in case we're stuck in here for longer than an hour," Joanna told him as she continued to pull items out of her bag. Just how much stuff did she have in it? "'Cos they might not find us until morning and I don't know about you but I've noticed that with the power off, the ventilation has also shut off. Now that's not too worrying. There's still oxygen coming in, but it's going to get hot in here, in fact it already is," Joanna said as she stood up and shrugged out of her blazer, leaving her in her skirt and her short sleeved white button down. Mycroft suddenly realized that she was right. It was getting rather warm in the lift. "Alright I have a lock picking kit," Joanna said as she picked something up. "Um… a few computer chips. I was wondering where I put those," She continued as she picked up a few motherboards. "Pen drive," She muttered as she quickly tossed this back in her bag. Mycroft saw that it was slim and metal, with a ring on the end so that one could put it on a keyring. Before she threw it back in her bag he managed to see that it had several letters written on it in faded marker. They were smudged and he could tell that the pen drive was not only old but had gone through a lot of wear. The letters on it had been H.N.E.D. "Sonic screw driver," She said as she held up a device that looked like a pen and then it lit up at the end with a blue light and made a whirling noise. "Well…not an actual one of course. Stole it off of Lexi's friend Liz because she was annoying me," Joanna told him offhandedly as Mycroft eyed the woman. "Ah ha! Billy!" Joanna said excitedly as she held up a skull. "I also broke into your brothers flat and stole his skull last night. I figured he would look nice on my desk for a few days. Nice little compensation for all the hard work we put in," Joanna said and Mycroft could help himself…he laughed. Joanna looked over at him before joining in. "I've also got a lethal pen. Don't ask how it is lethal unless you want a demonstration," Joanna told him before she continued looking into her bag once more and rummaging in it again. "Rubber bands could always have some fun flicking you with them if you get annoying, some connective glue, ha wire cutters, my small tool kit, reading glasses, small computer, paperclips… oh and best of all," She listed off, grinning at him mischievously when she mentioned the rubber bands but in a teasing way that told him she wasn't actually going to carry out that little plan. He heard the crinkling of a package before she brought out a white paper bag from her bag and held it out towards him in offering. "Would you like a Jelly Baby?" She asked him with a bright grin and Mycroft stared at her in surprise before he reached forward and accepted one of the sweets. She took one too and popped it into her mouth, smiling and looking like a contented child as she started packing away her stuff again. "So what have you got?" Joanna asked him, raising her eyebrow slightly in questioning as she continued to snack on the sweets. Mycroft looked about him, patting his pockets and only coming up with a mobile and his umbrella and Joanna made a thoughtful face before she nodded. "Alright so in a pinch you can protect us from rain," Joanna said with a smirk as she teased him before she continued. "And I can provide snacks, recite something from Hamlet, put some cabinets up, and possibly murder the both of us with paper clips, rubber bands, and my lethal pen. Good…am I missing anything?" Joanna asked him and Mycroft cleared his throat as he loosened his tie a bit and pulled at the collar of his shirt.

"It's about ten degrees warmer in here since you first mentioned that the ventilation would cause the temperature to rise," Mycroft informed her and Joanna hummed as she suddenly kicked of her shoes. Size six feet. Her feet were just as tiny as the rest of her. Her hands were also rather small and dainty too.

"Yes it is just a bit hotter in here. Oh look, rubber bands!" Joanna said as she reached into her bag and grabbed one. "Usefulness," She told him as she caught her long hair up and twisted it into a messy bun and tied it back. "Okay that's a bit better," Joanna told him as he notice the slight bit of sweat breaking out over her forehead. He was starting to sweat as well, especially since his suit was not made of cotton but of a cotton wool blend. It was hot but thankfully he wasn't also wearing his greatcoat. It hadn't been nearly cold enough today to afford needing that. "Why don't you take your jacket off?" Joanna suggested to him as she sat back.

"Hmm? No, I'm quite alright," Mycroft told her quickly. The last thing he wanted was to take his jacket off. He was self-conscious about his figure and had been since he was a child. Mycroft had always been bigger even as a boy and Sherlock had always picked on him for it which was why Mycroft always struggled to try new diets his entire life none of which worked. He was trying one now which had him eating noting but leafy vegetables. He cheated of course with a slice of cake every so often because he was weak but he was tired of not being able to eat what he wanted. If he removed his jacket then he would be left in just his shirt and waist coat and then Joanna would be able to see more of him. Mycroft didn't know why this affected him but it did.

"Mycroft it is hot as Hades in here. There's no since of being uncomfortable to maintain your poshness," Joanna told him and Mycroft turned round to look at her and took in her despairing look. She thought he didn't want to take off his jacket because he was acting posh? "Seriously, the Ministry of Posh Suits is not going to come cart you off because you took off part of your suit. And even if they tried we are stuck in a lift. If they succeeded I would congratulate them highly before bailing you out," Joanna continued as Mycroft continued to stare at her. Ministry of Posh Suits? He realized after she burst out laughing that he had asked this aloud. "Oi! No laughing. I;m not British. You might have some division related to that," Joanna told him and Mycroft shook his head at her despairingly. "You know like an entire division of the government and all they do is inspect to make sure you are wearing your suit correctly or that your top hat meets regulation. That your accent is posh enough. Can you sing the national anthem with enough pride?" Joanna continued on evne more dramatically. "Oh… does your monocle…," She said before Mycroft cut her off.

"Yes alright," He told her as he dragged himself to his feet and pulled his suit jacket off. "Are you happy now?" He asked her and she smirked at him before holding her finger under her nose in what he assumed was supposed to be a fake mustache and answered him.

"Indubitably," She told him in a British accent that was almost close to his own. Mycroft rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation as he sat back down again and carefully folded his jacket, placing it on a corner of Joanna's jacket so it wouldn't get dirty. "Better?" Joanna asked him after a moment of silence and Mycroft looked around for a moment, realizing he did feel a bit cooler.

"Yes actually," Mycroft told her before they lapsed back into silence. Joanna closed her eyes again, obviously tired from having been in so early and no being up so late. Mycroft was fine with the silence. It wasn't awkward but rather comfortable. He sat there, hoping that they would be let out soon. The only problem with the silence was that it left him with his thoughts. And within a few more minutes the lift was thrown into darkness again.

"Crap, my battery must have died," Joanna swore as she fumbled around and then found her mobile. That was another thing Mycroft had noticed about Joanna. She used foul language, a lot. "What about yours?" She asked him and Mycroft pulled out his mobile only to find that it wouldn't start either. It had been at two bars of battery life before but obviously as it tried roaming for a signal it drained all the battery.

"The same," Mycroft told her and she sighed heavily.

"Well I guess we get to enjoy the darkness. Might as well take a nap until someone comes to get us," Joanna said and Mycroft hummed a bit as Joanna stopped talking again. He assumed she was taking a nap as she suggested but he didn't feel like sleeping at the current moment. The darkness was unsettling as were the constant noises coming from the elevator shaft now that they weren't talking. Mycroft suddenly felt like the walls were closing in on him and his heart beat faster as his breathing speed up. He stated hyperventilating, unsure what was happening to him. Was he having a heart attack? Dying even? Suddenly the lift jostled and Mycroft moved his hands to find something to cling to and his hand connected with an arm. "Mycroft? Honey? Are you alright?" Joanna asked him, her voice quitter than before and he suddenly felt a cool hand on his forehead. "Honey I need you to take a few deep breaths for me," Joanna told him as Mycroft continued to panic, unable to think rationally. All he wanted was out of this lift, out of the dark. He found himself holding onto the tiny hand that had been placed into his own, squeezing it tightly as another hand moved through his hair, nimble fingers carding through his auburn locks. "Like I am see?" Joanna asked him as she took a few exaggerated breaths. "Can you do that honey?" She asked him with a gentle tone. "Match your breaths with mine," She directed him before she breathed in a held it for a few seconds and then let it out. She repeated it before nodding once. "Yes, like that honey, very good. Come on a few more times," She told him before she had him breath with her again and Mycroft suddenly calmed down, still feeling a bit panicky, but more in control. "There see," Joanna told him as she moved her hand that had been on his head and rubbed his arm soothingly. "You're alright," Joanna assured him before she sat next to him, shoulder to shoulder, her hand still in his own in his lap.

"Thank you," Mycroft choked out, still feeling a bit off to be properly embarrassed at her having witnessed him having a panic attack. He hadn't had one in years. Not since he thought he almost lost Sherlock to the drugs. Before that the last ones he had had, had been when he started working in his current position and he would have deadlines coming up and he would be stressed from not enough sleep and didn't know what to do.

"Claustrophobic?" Joanna asked him and Mycroft nodded numbly. Sherlock of course teased him about the fear saying that he didn't have any irrational fears because he was above all of them. Mycroft knew it was irrational but he still couldn't get over it no matter how much he tried to school his mind. It was times like this that he was reminded of the fact that he was still human. "Nothing to be ashamed about," She told him suddenly. "Don't know if you noticed when the lift jolted and I clung to you while shrieking in a very undignified manner which, if we had died then, I would have wanted a redo because I always wanted to die in a cool badass way with maybe a few parting words like "I'll be back" but I'm afraid of heights and also of falling. I'm also afraid of spiders, but who isn't? They are the spawn of Satan and they must all die," Joanna said with a dark voice and expression before she shook her head and her expression returned to normal. "But anyway… no one really likes dark small spaces honey," Joanna told him and Mycroft nodded at her slightly.

"I wasn't always…," Mycroft told her, sighing a bit and running his free hand down his face as he registered that he was still holding Joanna's hand in his other. "Sherlock, one summer when I came home from school, he shut me up in small cupboard and locked me in," Mycroft told Joanna, unsure why he was even sharing something with her that was so personal. "I was stuck in there for hours until my mother came home and let me out," Mycroft told her and Joanna suddenly turned to him, raising her eyebrows and getting an offended face.

"Um excuse me? The fuckwad did what?" Joanna asked him as she held up her hand and Mycroft spluttered in shock at her language.

"Excuse me?!" Mycroft asked her and she snorted at him.

"I'm sorry I hurt your little virgin ears," She told him, shaking her head at him and Mycroft spluttered some more but for some entirely different reasons. "You heard me though. Nope… no. Alright I don't care if Lexi loves him, he is getting a talking to when he gets back from his little holiday in Dartmoor. I will not accept my ducklings being the least bit uncivil towards one another,' Joanna said and Mycroft looked at her as if she had gone insane.

"Ducklings?" He asked her in confusion.

"Yes, as in you, Lexi, Sherlock, and John. Welcome to the herd. If you would like to know more ask Lexi about how it works," She told him, not saying anything more about it. He made a mental note to ask Lexi about what this…herd was. "Okay granted something that happened years ago he really isn't going to listen to me about now so I might have to let this slid," Joanna said suddenly, and Mycroft realized that she was talking to herself. "Eh, he's still a fuckwad. I'm still not sure how I feel about him yet. He makes Lexi happy though so I will begrudgingly like him for now until I form a better opinion. John though, I like John. He's an adorable little hedgehog," Joanna said before she looked up at him. "I'm not sure if I like your brother," She told him as she narrowed her eyes slightly and Mycroft smirked.

"I'm not sure if I do either," Mycroft told her and she grinned before laughing and leaning her head back on the wall of the lift before burying her face in his shoulder.

"You though. I like you," Joanna mumbled as she turned her head slightly so she was resting her head on his shoulder and Mycroft froze, unsure what to say to this as Joanna squeezed his hand slightly. "I don't know exactly why yet, but I do. I know that friends aren't really your thing or people in general but…I kind of feel comfortable around you which is odd because I usually hate people. I mean I like Anthea but she's just a bit too chipper for me sometimes," Joanna said and Mycroft realized she was just rambling now because she was overtired. "But I do like you Mycroft and I want to find out why," She said as she suddenly lifted her head and leaned in closer to him, studying him. Mycroft felt a little urge to lean in closer to her overtake him as her scent wrapped around him and muddled his brain and he caught her eyes in the very faint light that was streaming into the lift from somewhere. They broke apart suddenly when the lights flashed on and Mycroft let go of her hand. The lift started moving again and neither occupant looked at each other as they both got to their feet and collected their stuff. Mycroft put his suit jacket back on and then handed Joanna back her coat. She dusted it off and then slipped it back on, slinging her bag over her shoulder just as the doors to the lift opened and they were met with the faces of a few maintenance men. Once they assured them they were fine and were apologized to profusely Mycroft and Joanna headed out like they should have done two hours earlier. Joanna was jerking her head up every few minutes from micro sleep so Mycroft hailed a cab for her to make sure that she would get safely back to her home. She thanked him but before they parted for the night she turned and looked back at him. "You know let's just never speak of this again," Joanna suggested and Mycroft saw that she was giving him a way of getting out of it. She would never again bring up the fact that he had told her something deeply personal and they would just act like it never happened.

"Agreed," Mycroft told her and she nodded before getting into her cab and it pulled away from the curbing. Mycroft hailed his own cab, deciding he would take public transportation rather than wait for his own car to come and collect him. Right now he just wanted to go home and fall into his bed. As he sat in the cab on the way home he caught the scent of vanilla and almonds on his shoulder from where Joanna had leaned against him. Some memories couldn't be forgotten, especially one of what might have happened if the lights hadn't turned on. What was happening to him? When had he ever cared about emotions before? Caring wasn't an advantage. More importantly what was Joanna Reyer doing to him? Mycroft knew exactly what that woman was doing. She was making him care and he couldn't help it because for the first time he found someone he didn't actually mind caring for.


	7. Count On Me

**Hello sweeties! Welcome to the next prompt! I just couldn't not write more for Joanie and Mycroft. There might be another chapter up tonight if I can finish it. I am trying to work on the Cabin Pressure one shot but it is way too long and taking forever so you know but it will be epic when it is finished. This one is called Count On Me from royal prompateer Marci who gave me the idea for it so thank her for giving me all these inspirations and keeping me sane. **

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><p>Office hours. If anyone were to ask Mycroft what his life was comprised of in a couple words, he would respond with long office hours and keeping an eye on Sherlock Holmes, his younger brother, and Alexandria MacKenna, his brother's fiancée and his friend. Most days were stressful, to say the least, and he often came in early and stayed behind long after everyone had gone home. Other times, he felt it was a little overwhelming, and he could barely keep up with all the paperwork that kept appearing on his desk. And on top of that, his brother always managed to stick his nose where it didn't belong right when the stack reached a monstrous size. This was one of those days. Mycroft added the last period to the document on his desk and leaned back with a heavy sigh. Only...fifty-two more and he would finally be done for the night. An exhausted groan fell from his mouth and spread throughout the silent room. Half of these had a deadline, and if he didn't complete them by tonight, there was no possible chance that he could get them finished in time. His mother had ordered him back home on Alexandria's words so he needed to get all of these finished.<p>

It didn't matter that he had an important job and couldn't get away. He had already tried to tell her that there was no possible way that he could make it. He had far too much work to do and even spending one hour away from his office would make him fall so far behind he would never be able to drag himself back out of the pile of paper work. Leaving for two days as she requested would mean that he wouldn't be able to sleep for a week, that's if he still had a job. Maybe if he was lucky he could get these done in another…three hours or so and then get maybe two hours of sleep once he got home. Then back to the office early and longer hours until he could go home. Hopefully he could take care of everything he needed to before he was forced to leave to see his parents. Caught up in his mental worrying, he never noticed Joanna quietly walk into his office, place a steaming cup of tea on his desk, and sweep half of the pile of paperwork that was on the corner of his desk into her arms. Only after she had crossed the room and was about to walk out the door did he look up, having heard her quiet footsteps finally as her heel hit the floorboards rather than his carpet. He also noticed the stacks on his desk were significantly less than before and connected them with the piles in Joanna's arms. Mycroft furrowed his brows in confusion upon seeing the shorter woman.

"Joanna?" He called to her and she halted and turned back to him, hugging the files to her chest. Her hair bounced over her shoulder as she turned as it was down again today. She was wearing grey pants and a cream off the shoulder blouse with a small corset belt under it. Her hair had just a few more curls in it today and her eyes were defined with just a bit of black eyeliner.

"Hmm? What is it honey? Do you not like that tea?" Joanna asked him and Mycroft could hear a tired note in her voice. Mycroft glanced at his desk, and only now did he realize there was a cuppa steaming, and ready to be downed. His eyebrows shot up in surprise at the gesture.

"No, no," He replied. "Just...what are you doing?" He asked her in confusion and Joanna blinked. She had never heard him hesitate before. Must be the lack of sleep that they were both currently experiencing. Joanna had noticed that Mycroft was a bit different around her lately.

In the past few days since the drama had settled down over the Baskerville fiasco, Joanna had been able to spend more time studying Mycroft. She had taken her laptop into his office a few times to just sit in his armchair and work quietly. He would look up at her as she entered if he even acknowledged her but he would never ask her to leave. They would just both work quietly in each other's company. It was nicer than spending long hours alone in her office. Joanna didn't like to be alone for long periods of time. She craved company, even if they were being silent. They had kept to their promise and not mentioned their lock up in the elevator but Joanna still wasn't happy about what she had found out about him and Sherlock. It was nice this…having a friend of sorts in Mycroft. She didn't have friends other than Lexi and it was nice to just know that when she went into work she had people she could actually talk to that weren't judging of her. Her move to London had been the best thing she could have done. Yeah, it was a bit difficult. She still didn't understand the driving on the other side of the road or all of the Brits terms for things but she was getting there.

"Helping you, obviously," Joanna told Mycroft with a large smile as she gestured to the files in her arms. Ha she had stolen Sherlock's line. She still hadn't given Sherlock back his skull yet either. They had returned back from Baskerville to find it missing and then Lexi had immediately called her. They could get it back in a few days. For now it was amusing Mycroft whenever he saw it on her desk and she liked seeing him smile whenever he saw it there. That was another thing too. He smiled a lot over the last few days. She also knew that he didn't even realize he was doing it.

"It's one o'clock in the morning. You should go home," Mycroft told her and Joanna sighed. This man did not accept help easily, did he?

Joanna had been coming in early, earlier even than him and leaving later or at the same time as him every day. She had also been taking on as much of his paperwork on top of her own that she could. She knew that he worked harder than anyone else and that all he did was work. He deserved to have some time off every now and then. She could tell that he was stressed out, especially lately. Sure, working on two hours of sleep or sometimes no sleep at all wasn't good for her but that was what coffee and energy drinks were for. It was like her Uni days all over again except with less slobby roommates and no hormonal college guys. That ass Sebastian Wilkes had been the worst of them. How he ever thought that she would go out with him was beyond her. That was just while she was doing a little bit of work here in London as an international student for one semester.

"We'll both be able to go home sooner if you'd just shut up and let me help, honey," Joanna told Mycroft as she fixed him with a pointed look that meant that she was right and he knew that. She was tired and working on her fourth pot of coffee in the last oh…two hours. At least her kidneys would be functioning well in the next few days. Mycroft realized that they would both probably be at this all night long if he didn't relent. They more time they spent arguing about this the more time he was wasting. So he did.

"Alright. But why...?" Mycroft asked Joanna in confusion and she glanced at him and sighed softly.

"It's what friends do," Joanna told him tiredly with a slight smile on her face. For the second time that night, Mycroft was stunned. They were...friends? The thought was oddly comforting. Joanna turned around and started walking back over towards the door and before she could completely leave, he called out one last thing.

"Joanna...thank you," He said and he realized how nicely her name rolled off his tongue. Joanna wasn't exactly a French name. It was Polish and her last name, Reyer, was German. It was odd that her chosen name was not French. With her back still turned, Joanna smiled.

"You're welcome, honey," She told him before she turned back to him. "I'll be right back," She told him, deciding to bring her work in with him so that they would at least not be alone. She walked out of the room leaving Mycroft alone and he sat forward and tiredly rubbed his face before the smell of tea reached his nose. He lifted the mug and studied it as he realized it was a different one than the one she had given to him before. It read, "Lack of planning on your part does not constitute as emergency on my part." He smirked slightly before he raised the mug to his lips and took a sip.

As soon as the tea hit his taste buds he grimaced. It was just as bad as the tea she had made for him before. Weak and watery with just a bit too much milk this time and not enough sugar. This wasn't the first time she had brought him tea this week. It was the fourth time actually. Each had been in a different mug with sayings on them like, "Yet, despite the look on my face you're still talking" and "Some people just need a high five. In the face. With a chair." They were amusing and it was a little bit of a pick me up in the middle of his day. The only problem was the tea. The tea was terrible. Each time he could tell that she tried to make it differently but each time it came out weak. It seemed that she could not even make a simple mug of tea. Anthea said she made a great cup of coffee, better than she had ever had before, but Mycroft could never get used to coffee though. He looked up when the door opened again and Joanna came back into the room with her laptop, the files she had taken from him and a small bag. She proceeded to sit on the floor in front of his desk and crossed her legs as she pushed all the files onto the floor in a circle in front of her and the opened her laptop and balanced it on her knees. She pulled a hair elastic off her arms and quickly tied her hair up into a messy bun before she pulled a few neon coloured pens and highlighters out of her mini bag of office supplies and she looked up at him.

"You don't have to sit on the floor," Mycroft told her and she shrugged up at him as she picked up one of the files and opened it with a flick of her wrist.

"I don't mind. It's good for the posture actually," Joanna told him as she started reading the file and Mycroft took one off of his own stack. He saw her highlighting and marking various bits of the files she worked through with her neon coloured highlighters and pens and he sighed. She could never be entirely professional. "You're making the judgy face again," Joanna commented without even looking up as she threw another finished file on top of the growing pile of ones they had finished. "I just think if they have to read these it should be pretty and if I have to work on them it should be pretty," Joanna told him as she looked up at him and Mycroft sighed. "So…would you like neon pink, purple, or green?" Joanna asked him as she held up her pens and highlighters. "And no…I won't take no for an answer," She told him and Mycroft regarded her for a long moment.

"Green," He finally told her and she tossed the matching set to him which he caught nimbly.

"Ah…too masculine to accept pink," Joanna teased him and Mycroft sighed again before setting down his executive pen to replaced with her basic pen and highlighter. "The colour doesn't exactly go with your suits," Joanna added as she worked through another file. They kept working their way through the cases until even his tea went cold. He drank about half of it, not warning to be rude. It wasn't the best cup of tea he had ever had but it wasn't the worst either. She was trying to do something nice for him and the gesture did not go unnoticed. About three in the morning Mycroft looked up to see Joanna staring at a file a bit too intensely and nodding off slightly.

"Joanna," He called to her softly and she jerked her head up.

"Hmm?" She asked him as she looked up at him and he could see how bloodshot her eyes were.

"When did you come in this morning?" Mycroft asked her curiously. He had been wondering when she got in every morning over the last few days as she was always there before him and he would always find here there as late as he was.

"Umm…I think it was around five," Joanna told him as she looked down again and tried to go through the file and Mycroft sat there in shock. Five? That was an hour and a half earlier than he came in. Why would she come in that early?

"Why?" Mycroft asked her and she shrugged at him. "Joanna," Mycroft said, using his tone of voice he generally only used with Alexandria when she was being difficult.

"I was working on paperwork. I might have taken on some extra work lately," Joanna told him as she twirled her pen in her hand and then made a mark on her file.

"From who?" Mycroft asked her in confusion. Who could she have taken extra work on from? They were the only two that worked in this office and…. "From me?" Mycroft asked her in shock as he finally put two and two together and she lifted her head and nodded at him.

"Well…yes," She told him. "You've been working a lot lately and I thought that you deserved a bit of help. You always get loaded with a bunch of paperwork and I know it's hard to keep up on. So I just came in a bit early and stole a few of your files or ten or twenty maybe thirty on occasion and I worked on them for you so you would have less to do," Joanna explained before she set aside the file she had in her hands on the finished pile.

"Joanna…you…you," Mycroft stuttered, completely speechless. She had been overworking herself to help him. She had…cared about him.

"Don't…," Joanna told him as she got up off of the floor, only two files left in her stack and his stack completely finished. "Look, I wanted to help you. It's what friends do honey and I see us as friends so just don't. Don't tell me you don't want me helping you," Joanna told him and Mycroft broke out of his shock and shook his head.

"No, I was going to say thank you," Mycroft told her. "I…thank you," He told her again and she smiled tiredly at him before looking down at the floor.

"Well look at that, last two," She said as she bent down and picked them up. "You take one, I take one and then we can both head home," She told him and Mycroft nodded as he accepted the file. They both rushed through their last files before packing up their stuff and Joanna laughed as she walked back to her office to pop her stuff back into it and grab her coat and bag. "Well that wasn't so terrible," She told Mycroft as they walked out together. They took one look at the elevator before silently agreeing to not take chances and they headed down the stairs. "Oh by the way you are all set to visit your parents this week," Joanna told him and Mycroft looked over at her in surprise.

"How did you know about that?" Mycroft asked her and Joanna smiled knowingly.

"Well Lexi might have mentioned it. I worked it out with Anthea so your schedule is all clear. I can act as stand in you and at least make sure London doesn't blow up with you gone," Joanna told him before she continued. "Oh and you should already have my number in your phone from when I texted you can check in every five minutes if you want," Joanna told him before she laughed. "Unless your Mum takes your mobile away," She said, nudging him in the side.

"Thank you," Mycroft told her, knowing that she wouldn't accept anything less. He had come to learn that when Joanna offered her help she did not offer it lightly, she offered it because she actually cared.

"Don't go singing my praises too much honey. I might never let you go," Joanna teased him as they made it outside and Mycroft's car pulled up as he had texted ahead for it once he knew that they were getting to the end of their stacks.

"Can I offer you a ride home?" Mycroft asked Joanna and she tilted her head to the side, thinking about it for a moment.

"Sure," She told him and Mycroft opened the back door and let her slid into the back seat before him. "No. 17 Cannon Street Rd," Joanna told his night driver before she sat back in her seat tiredly. Mycroft let her rest on the car ride over so it was a silent trip and when the car stopped Joanna opened her eyes again and looked over at him. "Thanks for the ride. I would invite you upstairs but it's more than a bit late and I'm sure you want to get home," Joanna told him tiredly.

"Maybe another time," Mycroft told her, surprising himself with the offer as he never offered to spend time with other people and this would be spending time with her outside of work.

"I'd like that," Joanna told him before he grabbed her bag and opened the door, sliding out from the car. "Good night honey," Joanna told him before she leaned back into the car and pressed a small kiss to his cheek. "Sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite," Joanna told him with a playful smiled before she backed up.

"Goodnight…," Mycroft managed to get out before she closed the door and he watched as she bounced over to the door to her flat and opened it. He reached up and touched his cheek which burned where she had kissed him. "…Joanna," Mycroft said and he wanted until he saw the lights flick on upstairs before he let his driver drive off. That was the moment that the ice in Mycroft's heart thawed. On his way back to his own home all Mycroft could feel was the ghost of those soft lips on his cheek. The Ice Man would be the Ice Man no longer.


	8. Royally Fucked

**Hello sweeties! So here is the next chapter! It's the Royal Wedding! Yea! SO a little update…college is kicking my arse slightly as I get down to finals. I have about four weeks left until finals so in light of this Windows Into Baker Street is currently on hiatus until further notice because I only have enough time to work on one series at a time and right now that is this story. I'm writing as many chapters as quickly as I can for this one too but bear with me because I have tests and papers coming up. TRS is finished in terms of chapters though so that can go up as planned. Enjoy the chapter. This one got a bit out of hand once I got started.**

**AllTheLoveInTheW-Thank you sweetie. I'm glad you love my goldfishes so much. I'm quite attached to this story myself. Somehow once Mycroft and Joanna got into my head their love story seemed to get better than Lexi and Sherlock's. I can't pick favourites though. **

**Marci: JOCROFT AND SHERLEXI FOREVER!**

**WARNING: From here on out, this chapter and future chapters, expect Joanna to use occasional offensive and foul language. She swears like a sailor. Just bleep it out in your heads if it gets to be a bit much for you. It's all part of her character. If you can't deal with it I apologize for your virgin ears. **

After returning from his parents' house, a trip which resulted in his brother and Lexi getting engaged, Mycroft had some time to think about his own life as Joanna had insisted that he take an extra day to himself at home to wind down before coming back to the office. Lexi had brought up Joanna to his parents, namely his mother while he had been visiting with them and as soon as the name had passed her lips his mother hadn't stopped asking questions about her. Was she someone he worked with? Was she nice? Was she pretty? He had answered yes to all of those as it was the truth and of course that had been enough for his mother to launch more questions. Mycroft was still reeling from the kiss that Joanna had bestowed upon him the night he had escorted her home. Both of them had been in just as early the next morning, maybe a bit later than normal, but there was something different in the atmosphere around them that Mycroft had noticed. She smiled whenever she saw him. She still brought him tea which he accepted because he didn't have the heart to tell her not to bring him any. She even brought her work into his office again and just sat quietly in one of his armchairs as he worked. It was nice to have another person so close to him and whenever there was a lull they would strike up a small conversation.

He found out that she liked musicals and classical music as he did. She was especially a fan of piano music which Mycroft was thrilled at for some unknown reason since he played the piano. The more he talked and got to know her, the more he found it was harder to be away from her. He actually found that he liked to spend time in the office now. Before he used to dread it. The long office hours were grueling and his brief time at home was his only relief but now he found that he actually woke up every morning with a smile on his face as he hurriedly got ready so he could get to the office sooner. When he left to go to his parents' house Joanna had wished him luck and given him a little one armed hug as he walked her out to her motorbike. She also said she would miss seeing his smiling face around the office which of course was a jibe at the fact that he always seemed to be frowning. Would she really miss him though? As soon as he arrived at his parents' house the torture began since Sherlock and Lexi had yet to arrive. That was when he had received a text from Joanna. It was a picture of her frowning and her nose was wrinkled in an adorable way. She told him that she had been called in for a meeting which was the most boring thing ever and that if she had to listen to this guy in his fancy suit talk for another minute she was just going to go over to the window and "James Bond out of it."

He managed to keep her entertained and entertain himself by sending her text messages back and forth until his mother threatened to take his mobile away as she wanted him to be spending time with the family, not working. He tried to protest and say he wasn't working, not technically, but he was forced to put his phone away all the same. Joanna had sent him back a sad face for that once he told her he was forced to leave but a wink when she said she knew his mother would scold him for being on his mobile. Sherlock and Lexi made his life no better though he did check in with Joanna a few times when he managed to get away. She asked him how he was surviving and if she needed to come and rescue him but he assured her he would live. Mycroft wasn't sure how he felt about Joanna. That therein lay his problem. At first he hadn't been fond of her, he had never hated her, but now he was just unsure about her. He had always thought caring wasn't an advantage because he had always been hurt whenever he cared in the past but she was making him care.

Every time she smiled at him he felt this burst of happiness like he was some lovesick teenager and when she laughed and he was the cause of it he would feel this since of achievement and pride. Her kiss had shocked him deeply. Did she care for him, have feelings for him even? Was it possibly for a woman like Joanna to even fancy him? He was old, even he knew that. He also wasn't the most attractive of men. Sherlock had always been thinner than him with flawless skin and high cheekbones and his dark curls. He was middle aged with sagging skin, a receding hairline, and he got out of breath if he walked up more than two flights of stairs. Joanna on the other hand was a woman in her prime, curvaceous with long hair and the most beautiful blue eyes he had ever seen. A woman like her would never choose a man like him and he knew that. But her actions…the kiss, the hug, the teasing all spoke of a woman who might be showing interest in him. But she frustrated him to no end because he could not for the life of him deduce her or her intentions. She could be for all he knew just toying with him. Feeling pity for him.

Mycroft sighed heavily and rubbed his hand down his face before he took a sip of his Bourbon. Of his final assessment he could conclude that he did indeed have some sort of feelings for Joanna and did in fact care for her to some degree. Whether this was a romantic attachment or a friendly one Mycroft still didn't know and thus he would need more data before making a final determination. He got up and went to bed, leaving his empty glass on his coffee table. One more nights of good rest before he took the plunge back into the madness. The next morning Mycroft dressed in his three piece suit once more, the grey one this time that Joanna had complimented him on before. Once at the office after a quick stop at a coffee shop on his way there he made it in around his usual time of six thirty. As he expected, Joanna was already there, but she was currently in the reception area with Anthea and the two women seemed to be having a heated debate over something.

"Mycroft!" Joanna said, smiling widely as she saw him. "You're alive!" She said and then she giggled as Mycroft smirked ever so slightly at her dramatics.

"I was hardly going to face down the enemy," Mycroft told her as he offered her a paper cup which she accepted. She raised her eyebrow at him before taking a sip of it. She hummed and closed her eyes in what Mycroft could only assume was joy before she grinned at him.

"And you've realized you can never make me British by trying to give me tea, well done," Joanna told him as she took another sip of the coffee he had brought her and Mycroft handed his assistant over her tea he had brought in she thanked him for it.

"One can hardly forget with you being so vocally against it," Mycroft told her and she sighed dramatically as she made a face at him.

"Honey, I don't know what lies you've been fed your entire life but tea just isn't natural. You aren't supposed to be drinking it. There is a reason why Americans dumped it all into the harbor," Joanna told him and Mycroft snorted at her and rolled her eyes.

"If I remember correctly it was to protest against the tax on tea, not because they disliked it,' Mycroft told her and she shrugged at him.

"Ah but that is what they want you to believe. It is actually because the Americans realized that tea was too terrible to subject themselves to drinking any longer so the only thing they could conceive of doing was to throw it all out. True story. Actual facts," Joanna told him with a nod and Anthea giggled at her.

"Don't encourage her," Mycroft told his P.A. Despite the fact that Joanna was being dramatic, he honestly missed this, missed her and her personality. She was a breath of cool air, so much different than the people he was used to having to work with.

"Hey I'm the only American here, well sort of American. I had to sit through years of boring teachers droning on and on about American history. You can't say shit mister," Joanna said as she pointed at him and gave him a scolding look before she turned back to Anthea. "And my answer is no. No way. No way Jose. No how. Thank you. Adios. Good day," Joanna said before she saluted her with her coffee and turned on her heel, walking away from them and back to her office.

"What was that about?" Mycroft asked Anthea, gesturing between her and Joanna's retreating back as the shorter woman retreated into her office and closed her door partially to signal that she didn't wish to be disturbed.

"You've both been invited to the royal wedding sir. Miss Reyer is refusing to attend," Anthea told him sheepishly and Mycroft sighed heavily. They had to attend. To not attend would be the greatest of insults. "I tried to convince her to sir but she said there was and I quote no way in living hell she would be going sir," Anthea told him with a grimace and Mycroft nodded at her before he turned and made for Joanna's office he raised his hand to knock on her door but her voice reached him first.

"You can come in honey but the answer is still going to be no. And in a few more seconds, oh what a surprise, still no," Joanna told him and he pushed her office door open and walked in to find her typing rapidly away on her laptop. "Oh and if you are wondering Russia is annoying me right now or more like their Prime Minister is. Never liked him really. He called me a crazy bitch once…," Joanna said trailing off as she looked up thoughtfully and frowned. "Eh I've been called worse. He could have at least been original, but in any case I'm hacking him. Which is pretty lame because they make it far too easy. I'm just going to make their systems play an endless cat video whenever they try to click into it. Just until their done pissing me off. Maybe a few days at most…maybe a week. Who knows?" Joanna rambled on as Mycroft watched her finish and then she turned her laptop around as she showed him a video that was playing of a cat flying around on a rainbow and singing a ridiculous and annoying song.

"Joanna…," He told her, about ready to tell her that she couldn't do something like that and she raised her eyebrow at him and sent him a stern glare.

"Yes I can do that. One of the many joys afforded to me. Honey, I could do a lot worse to them, instead I am choosing to settle it with cat videos. It's annoying, it does no damage. They're government will just be in a little bit of chaos for a few days which will force their Prime Minister to contact me and grovel and if he grovels well enough I might be inclined to help him," Joanna told him as she looked up at him again. "And as for this royal wedding, no. I am not going. In fact I will be at home eating a tub of Ben and Jerry's Rocky Road and saying goody for me for staying out of it," Joanna told him as Mycroft walked further into her office and took a seat in front of her desk. "Oh no, don't sit. Sitting implies that you mean to talk to me about this," Joanna said as she buried her face in her arms.

"Joanna, you've been invited to the wedding by the queen herself. To decline such an invitation would be seen as the greatest of insults. You must attend. The head of nearly every nation in the world will be there. As an intelligence agent, as an official such as yourself you must make an appearance," Mycroft told her and she groaned and banged her head on her arms. "I don't see why you are being so dramatic about this," Mycroft told her and she snapped her head up and shot him a look which told him he had just said completely the wrong thing.

"Oh I'm being dramatic about this?" She asked him loudly as she gestured wildly to herself.

"Well…yes," Mycroft said slowly and she laughed loudly.

"Honey…I don't know if you've realized but I'm just a tad bit socially awkward. I fuck up because I don't know what to say. Put me into a room with government officials and I can control the room, put me in a room with the motherfucking queen of Great Britain and we are going to have a major fucking problem," Joanna swore and Mycroft choked on air at her foul language which had hit an all-time high.

"Language!" Mycroft shouted at her and she glared at him.

"Oh grow a pair virgin ears!" She shouted back at him. "I'm sure you've heard curse words before," She told him and Mycroft nodded. He had just never to that degree or from a woman.

"Yes I have but it isn't proper for a lady to be speaking like that," Mycroft told her and Joanna smirked at him and nodded.

"Well there you have it then. I'm not a lady. Never have been really. So get used to it honey because I've only just gotten started," Joanna told him before she sighed heavily and put her hands on either side of her head and looked up at him, continuing. "Look okay… I can't do it. I would need to find a date which, face it, isn't going to happen. I also would need to attend an event I don't know how to dress for or act for. I can't do it My. I'm a girl from the Bronx who became an intelligence agent, hacker, and assassin. I work as a government official and super badass government consultant and there isn't even a name for my job position. I cannot attend an event like this. I would fuck up and then I don't know Britain would go to war with Germany all over again or something," Joanna ranted and Mycroft listened to her go on about her insecurities. He was thrown when she called him My, giving him yet another nickname.

"I never said you were going to have to go alone did I," Mycroft told her after a moment of silence and she looked up at him blinking slowly. "I will also be in attendance and will also need a date for the event. There is nothing that says we could not attend it together. As for the knowing what to wear I could go with you to choose something or if you aren't comfortable with that Anthea would always be willing to help you find something. Conceivably I could make sure that the event passes without any wars breaking out," Mycroft told her, smirking slightly at the end and Joanna blinked at him for several longer moments.

"Would you really do that?" Joanna asked him and Mycroft frowned in confusion. Had she not heard him?

"I did offer to didn't I?" Mycroft asked her and she nodded at him slowly.

"Yes, but people usually don't like spending time with me…or doing nice things for me in general…or going out of their way to help me," Joanna told him sheepishly as she wrung her hands and Mycroft knew that she was slightly uncomfortable as she wasn't used to people offering to help her.

"I'm not most people," Mycroft told her before he rose from his chair. "I'll have Anthea accept our invitations and have her also arrange to bring you dress shopping," Mycroft told her before he made for her office door.

"Umm My?" Joanna called out and Mycroft turned back at her call, his heart once again leaping at the name she was calling him. He normally despised when his mother or anyone else called him by anything other than his actual name but it was nice when Joanna did. "Thank you," Joanna told him sincerely and Mycroft could see just a sparkle of excitement and happiness in her eyes.

"You're welcome," Mycroft told her before he turned and walked out of her office, arranging both things with his P.A. like he said he would before he returned to his own office. The rest of the day passed as it normally would and it even included a weak cup of tea in a comical mug ("I'm smiling, that alone should scare you") around the evening hours when only Joanna and he remained working before he brought her out to her motorbike.

Several days after their tense meeting together, Joanna and Mycroft both slid into the back of his waiting car after a long day of work. Mycroft was carefully carrying a garment bag which contained her dress for the next morning and Joanna had with her on top of her usual large handbag, an overnight bag. She had become less anxious to attend once Mycroft assured her that he would be with her and Anthea went to help her choose a dress. Mycroft had then, surprising himself even, extended the offer to her of having her stay in his guest room for the night so that they could both get ready and depart at the same time in the morning. At least that was what he was telling himself. In truth it was also so that Joanna wouldn't lose her never and run out on him at the last minute. He could of course attend the wedding alone but it would look well for him to have a date and Joanna did need to be in attendance. They both did. He was nervous to be sure to have her over to his house having never had a guest stay over in his house besides his parents. Joanna wasn't just anyone however. She was someone from work, someone he was starting to care for. He had had Lexi stay over plenty of times before but this was decidedly different. She didn't seem at all bothered by it however.

They arrived back at his home which was an upscale residence in the city. It was on the opposite side of where she resided and he was more than just a little anxious as he knew that it was far different than her own flat. She constantly teased him for being posh or upscale but that was what he was used to. Joanna on the other hand, he knew she had money yet she lived in a comfortable flat like his brother and while her wardrobe was modest and not exactly inexpensive she was frugal with her money. She didn't spend money on things she didn't need. Mycroft however loved to spend money on luxury items. He was worried about what she might think and say about him upon entering his home. He took her bags and escorted her to his door, unlocking it and entering before her. He turned off the alarm as he ushered her inside the receiving area. His house was designed with many rich fabrics, dark woods, and deep, bold colours. Joanna tilted her head to the side as she viewed the main room he had brought her into and she smiled after a moment's inspection of the wooden paneling.

"It's you," Joanna said, breaking the silence as she nodded at him. "I like it," She told him and Mycroft allowed a small smile to grace his lips before he led her further inside like a good host. His living room had leather couches, thick carpets and more wooden furniture. Unlike his brother's flat, everything was neat and had its own place. "Oh thank God," Joanna said as she saw his living room. "The mess in Sherlock's flat just irritates my OCD," Joanna laughed and Mycroft chuckled a bit.

"And mine as well. I assume he keeps it that way for that exact purpose," Mycroft told her as he set her bag down on the floor. "May I take your coat?" Mycroft asked her and she nodded and Mycroft moved towards her as she started sliding it off. Like a gentleman he helped her take it off before folding it over his arm. "Let me show you to your room," Mycroft told her and she grinned at him.

"You know you can relax honey. I'm not going to bite…much," Joanna told him with a playful smirk and Mycroft blushed slightly. He was thankful that he had just led her into the darkened hallway.

"I am relaxed," Mycroft protested and she snorted and rolled her eyes.

"Honey your shoulders have been tensed sense we got in the car," Joanna told him as she put a hand on his shoulder. "Relax honey. It's just me. We're not at work so there is no reason to act all…," She said making an arm gesture at him and Mycroft raised his eyebrow at her questioningly as they paused in the hallway.

"All what?" He asked her and she sighed at him.

"Posh honey. There's no need to talk like that. I get that you do at work but…," Joanna told him trailing off slightly.

"This is how I normally talk," Mycroft told her, scrunching up his face and she raised her perfectly arched eyebrow at him.

"Seriously?" She asked him and Mycroft nodded. "Well honey…I've got a lot to teach you," She told him before she grinned widely. Mycroft shook his head at her in exasperation before he continued on and opened a door across from his own bedroom and pushed it open. He flipped on the light and let Joanna enter into the room ahead of him which contained a Queen sized bed that was covered in a deep blue silk bedspread and cream coloured sheets. He placed her bag down on the bench at the end of her bed and she walked over to the nightstand on the left side of the bed and put her mobile down on it. She slept on the left side of the bed then because she was right handed. He slept on the right because he was left handed.

"Would you like a glass of wine before bed?" Mycroft offered her and she nodded at him with a soft smile playing on her lips.

"Sure honey. I'm just going to change first but I'll meet you out there in a minute," She told him and Mycroft nodded before leaving her to do what she needed to. He removed his suit jacket and put it in his room, hanging it up with his others before he went to his kitchen and searched the wine rack for something she might like.

Red or white wine? She never mentioned a preference. She might expect him to deduce it from her however. She enjoyed coffee over tea, she also seemed to eat sweets a lot…so she had a bit of a sweet tooth. Red wine was less bitter than white wine so he chose a bottle of red wine that was a particular favourite of his and brought it along with two wine glasses with him back into the living room. The 2001 Saint-Emilion was an excellent choice for the general mood of this evening. He uncorked the bottle to let it breath for a few minutes before he started a fire up in his fireplace. Several minutes later he heard the sound of footsteps coming towards him. It took him a minute to remember that it was only Joanna as he was so used to living alone. From the sound of her footsteps he could deduce that she was barefooted. He straightened up and turned around and his jaw nearly dropped at the sight of her. She was wearing a matching pajama set which included short cotton shorts with owls all over them and a ribbed tank top with another owl and the inscription "Night Owl" on it. She was thankfully still wearing some other pieces of clothing underneath this. Her hair was now up in a high ponytail and her face was makeup free. She was dressed more casually than he had ever seen her before. She plopped down on the couch and he walked over to the coffee table pouring them each a glass of the wine which she received with her thanks. It was only around ten in the evening since they had been let out earlier than normal do to their need to get up earlier in the morning. It seemed odd to be home so early. Joanna raised her wine glass to her lips and took a sip. She grinned at him once she lowered her glass as he took a seat across from her in one of his armchairs.

"Saint-Emilion 2000?" She asked him, surprising him and Mycroft smirked at her.

"2001,"He corrected her and she hummed.

"I like it. It's better than the 2000 actually," She remarked as she took another delicate sip and tucked her legs under her, getting comfortable. There was something just so right about seeing her reclined on his couch.

"You seem to know your wines Miss Reyer," Mycroft said as he raised his eyebrow at her and took a sip from his own glass and she smirked at him mischievously.

"Well, I might not be completely posh, but I love wine. Especially the expensive wines. I actually like to go wine tasting. I bet you didn't know that Mr. Holmes," Joanna told him playfully and she noticeably raised her eyebrow at him, putting emphasis on his name. "Are we to be keeping this to strictly last names Mr. Holmes?" Joanna asked him before she took another sip of her wine and then leaned her arms against the arm rest and studied him as she put her head down on top of his arms.

"Well it's been remarked that I speak too poshly so no…Joanna," Mycroft told her feeling quite bold which might have been because he was half way finished with his first glass of wine.

"Is it just me or is it a bit strange for it to be this early and us not to be working?" Joanna suddenly asked him and Mycroft chuckled and nodded.

"Indeed. What would you suggest?" Mycroft asked her and she tilted her head to the side and hummed thoughtfully.

"Well I already know from Lexi how board games normally end with Sherlock so I am going to assume that it ends about the same way with you. My brothers and I nearly started World War Three once playing Monopoly when I was twelve. I don't think London wants to see that tonight so…maybe we could watch a movie?" Joanna asked him and Mycroft nodded in agreement. It wasn't something he could to do often enough.

"What would you suggest then?" He asked her curiously. Women he knew normally liked to watch romantic movies. Anthea would always chatter on to him about the plotline of some new movie she had seen and he would either tune her out and then delete it all later or begrudgingly listen to her. Mycroft couldn't stand newer movies as they had predictable plotlines and the romance was subpar. He didn't much prefer action movies either as he saw plenty of real life action in his profession and just by babysitting his brother, Alexandria, and the good doctor. As for horror films, Mycroft was not and never would be a fan of them. He was however a fan of old classics.

"An American in Paris," Joanna told him, smirking as she lifted her head. Mycroft blinked at her slowly before her suggestion register and then he all out laughed, surprising her. 'Did you just laugh? Like not just a little chuckle? Like an actual proper laugh?" Joanna asked him in shock and Mycroft nodded at her as he smiled widely.

"I do believe I did," Mycroft told her as he got up and found his remote, turning on his TV which doubled as the mirror over his fireplace.

"And you got all the high tech crap. Figures," Joanna snorted as she tucked her feet further under her. Mycroft set the movie up on Netflix and hit play before crossing over to his small chest and pulling a quilt his mother had made for him out of it. He brought it over to Joanna and handed it to her before sitting on the opposite end of the couch from her as it was the only place to view the TV. Joanna gratefully unfolded the blanket and threw it over herself, pressing her face down into the folds of material as she seemed to cuddle under it as the move started. They drank more wine as they watched the movie, finishing the bottle together and at least a half hour into it Joanna stretched out her legs and laid them out across his lap. He had frozen in shock before relaxing as she just continued to watch the movie as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Once the movie was over it was nearing midnight and they both finally felt tired enough to head to bed. They said goodnight to each other and parted ways in the hall before going to bed. Mycroft slept fitfully that night, knowing that Joanna was sleeping just across the hall from him and he was not to know that the same thing happened for Joanna.

The next morning Mycroft stood in front of the mirror in his bedroom trying to tie his tie and for some reason he was failing this morning. On all the mornings he could have been having difficulties it had to be this morning. He pulled it out after yet another failed attempt and it hung loosely around his neck. In a pinch he could use it as a noose and hang himself because that was all it was going to be good for in a few minutes when they had to leave. Behind him Mycroft heard the click of heels in the hallways and then Joanna knocked once on his partially opened bedroom door before she entered his room, still putting one of her earrings on. Mycroft's jaw nearly dropped when he saw her yet again, a common occurrence it seemed when it came to Joanna Reyer. She looked…stunning, breathtaking even. She was wearing a very demure rose coloured dress that Anthea had helped her pick out and it had a slight shawl to go over the short sleeves of the dress. It had a high neck line and a tight, defining bodice, but then it flared out into a fuller skirt almost resembling a dress from the 1950's. Her hair was pinned up in an intricate up do under a boater hat in the same rose colour that had only a simple rose bow on the side, nothing nearly as over the top as the other hats they would probably see. She had paired the dress with a pair of nude heels which were simple and not overly high as to kill her feet if they spent a lot of time standing around and she wore a pair of black pearl drop earrings and a matching necklace with it. She looked and would look better than most ladies in attendance. She was wearing hardly any makeup, only a bit of brown eyeliner and a light bit of foundation, blush, and white eye shadow that he could tell and her lips were stained a natural rose colour. It was all done naturally and she looked beautiful. She looked up at him, having not noticed him staring at her and she lower her hands as she finally got her second earring in.

"Okay, I understand the need for a dress even though I don't particularly like it, but do I really need the hat. Like is it optional? Can I burn it?" Joanna asked him as she gestured to it and Mycroft sighed at her in exasperation, knowing that down to the last minute she would still cause a fuss.

"It is required," Mycroft told her and she let out a groan.

"Fine. It comes down to this. Forced to wear a hat for royalty," Joanna complained before she took a few more steps into his room and stumbled over her heels, swearing like a sailor as she caught herself and cursing half of London's mother's. "These fucking shoes!" Joanna swore as she bent down and ripped them off of her feet before chucking them out of his bedroom door. He heard a crashing sound as they collided with something somewhere and he frowned at her in disapproval. "That's it. I am wearing my converse. I wore the dress for them. I wore the hat for them. I am not wearing the fucking shoes for them. It isn't happening," Joanna ranted and Mycroft couldn't helped but smirk. This new version of Joanna amused him greatly. They were more open with each other now sure and they still bickered and argued occasionally, but they didn't have any more all-out battles like before. It was safe for him to be amused by her character and her theatrics. "Don't you dare laugh Mycroft Holmes!" Joanna said, looking round at him suddenly and pointing at him threateningly.

"I am not laughing," Mycroft assured her, holding his hands up passively.

"You're smirking," Joanna told him, narrowing her eyes at him as she stalked closer to him and Mycroft swallowed thickly, unsure what she might do to him. She reached up suddenly and he froze as she started to tie his tie. She pursed her lips before she looked up at him and let a small smile creep onto her face. "Can't take you anywhere," Joanna teased him, chuckling slightly. Mycroft gave her a pointed look and she shrugged at him. "I know says the woman not wearing any shoes because she just had a minor tantrum," Joanna quipped before she fixed his collar and patted down his shoulders.

"Are you ready?" Mycroft asked her as she stepped back from him, thankfully putting some distance between them as all he could smell was almonds and vanilla. "The car should be here in a few minutes," He informed her as he looked down at his wrist to check his watch.

"Yup, just got to go put on shoes," Joanna told him as she wiggled her bare feet on his floorboards and then she darted out of his room and back into her own.

The car arrived moments later and Joanna came out of her room and was pleasantly surprised to see that she was once again wearing her heels rather than the converse sneakers she had threatened to wear. Mycroft helped her into the car and they drove in his official car all the way up to the front of the Church which was being mobbed by journalist. Joanna looked extremely nervous so he reached across and squeezed her hand as two attendants rushed over and opened their doors for them. Mycroft hurriedly walked to the other side of the car as soon as he got out and helped Joanna from the car before she even got both feet out of it. She sighed in relief and shot him a thankful look as he took her hand in his. Joanna he noticed had her mobile in her hand and she was fiddling with it. He had no time to tell her that now was not the time to be messing with her phone as the press turned their cameras onto them…for all of two seconds before their cameras turned off, malfunctioning. Mycroft looked over at Joanna who smirked up at him and winked. She slipped her mobile back into her small purse and then they walked straight on through without being harassed by the journalist. They were seated and sat through the entire ceremony together side by side.

Joanna surprised Mycroft with just how well she actually did in this sort of settings. He could see her get a bit anxious around all the government officials and the important guests but she greeted all the foreign diplomats and dignitaries like it was old hat, men Mycroft still had troubles speaking with. They all spoke to Joanna with respect as if they were in the middle of a meeting, not about to witness a union. Mycroft was of course forced to greet the Queen before the ceremony began along with the Princes and the rest of the royal family as was Joanna. This was the first time Joanna would be meeting the Queen and Mycroft was nervous. She went up to the Queen however and greeted her with ease and carried on a few minute conversation with her. The Queen seemed to love her and the men seemed to fear her slightly, but she induced those emotions in all men. She was a force the male species could not quite understand and Mycroft was still attempting to.

From the wedding they were driven on to the wedding reception which would take place at Buckingham Palace. They mingled amongst the heads of different countries as the royal couple had their kiss on the balcony and they were invited to attend a wine tasting even for some important members of government which they would of course be attending. Mycroft nodded at Joanna encouragingly to assure her that she was doing well. She was forging connections. Unfortunately for her the ambassador from Russia was in attendance and they shared a few heated words over her recent hacking into their affairs. That was when Joanna informed him within ear shot of men other ambassadors and dignitaries that she was not a person that could be so easily messed with and that they would be smart to "back off…my dears." Later on as the party continued Joanna snagged a glass of champagne off of a waiters tray and she sauntered on over to where he was standing off to the side, viewing the dancing. Mycroft wasn't overly fond of dancing unless he actually knew his dance partner, it was very Darcy of him but some people could be too chatty or dull or unpleasant and he would rather not be forced to dance with them. Joanna leaned slightly against his shoulder as she watched the dancers with him.

"You know, even at a royal wedding when the serve the fanciest champagne known to mankind, it still tastes like piss water," Joanna told him just as he had taken a sip of his own champagne and he choked on his sip. She patted him on the back as she giggled. "Okay so maybe it is higher class piss water," Joanna said as she studied the bubbling liquid in her glass. "Cherubs," She said with a serious face as she pointed at him. "Has to be," She told him, nodding before she grabbed his glass and set both of theirs down in a nearby alcove before grabbing his hands.

"What are you doing?" Mycroft asked her as she dragged him along behind her.

"Dancing with you honey. What does it look like?" She asked him with a smirk. "Oh and this is something else you might want to put your hand on my waist for," She teased him and he quickly adjusted his hold on her as she led them into the waltz. They danced several waltzes together before stopping and taking a breather as they spoke with the ambassador of Belgium and his wife. They looked up in alarm, including Mycroft when Joanna suddenly swore loudly in Arabic, at least Mycroft assumed she swore by the trail of words and the way they were spoke. The ambassador and his wife looked at her in surprise over her sudden outburst as she grabbed his hand and smiled at him. "Mycroft, I need to borrow you for a moment. So sorry," Joanna said, saying the last part to the ambassador and his wife and also apologizing to them in Dutch before she dragged him off to the side of the room where they had been earlier when they had been almost hiding from everyone else. "3 o'clock…code red," Joanna told him and Mycroft looked over to where she had told him to look. Standing next to a red headed Irish girl was his brother, dressed for the occasion, wolves in sheep's clothing. For now they were just standing there, their heads bowed together as they whispered back and forth, obviously making deductions about the other people in the room. Mycroft gritted his teeth and glared across the room at the two of them, seething at the stunt they had pulled. "Hmm…I wonder how they got in," Joanna said, raising her eyebrow as she looked at Lexi and she crossed her arms over her chest. Mycroft was just about to head over there and drag them both out of the room when Joanna pressed a hand to his chest, stopping him, not by force but by the mere fact that she was touching him. "Don't cause a scene. We can deal with this quietly without anyone even noticing that they're here," Joanna told him as she took her mobile out of her handbag and Mycroft trusted her to act accordingly. He watched over her shoulder as she did the same work she could on her computer on her mobile which he realized was and altered and advanced version of the original, capable of such means. "I think the false promise of a double…no a triple homicide from Lestrade might be incentive enough for them to leave. And with just a bit of jiggery pokery which is a technical term mind you…," Joanna said as she looked up and grinned at him. "Sherlock should now be receiving a text from Detective Inspector Lestrade or at least he will think it is from him. It'll read as coming from his number because I hacked Lestrade's phone and had it send the text. Lestrade's phone will even register it. So…," Joanna told him and Mycroft and her watched as Sherlock pulled his mobile from his pocket. Within a few seconds he was dragging Lexi off with an excited look of glee on his face. "He will now go and collect John, the three of them will be down at the Yard. Sherlock will insist there was a triple murder. Lestrade will say no there hasn't been. Sherlock will say he got the text. Lestrade will say he never sent a text only to find he had and maybe then Lexi will figure it out but it will be too late by then after they are done arguing so…London is safe for the night," Joanna told him with a proud smile and Mycroft smiled widely.

"You are the most brilliant woman I have ever met," Mycroft told her honestly and she nudged him in the side.

"Better be careful honey…compliment me too much like that and I might just keep you. Genius needs an audience and well a little appreciation is nice every now and then," Joanna said with a sigh before she giggled. "I think we make a rather good team Mycroft Holmes," Joanna told him and Mycroft nodded at her in agreement.

"I couldn't agree more," Mycroft told her before she slipped her mobile back away and got a mischievous look on her face.

"Hmm, let's see who else we can mess with," Joanna said with a look of glee before she darted off amongst the other guests and Mycroft called after her and found himself running after her. In that moment he felt nearly ten years young and the rest of his carefully built walls came down. He had all the data he needed. Mycroft Holmes was starting to fall for Joanna Reyer and there was nothing he could to stop himself from falling over the edge.


	9. Sentimentallities Of A Different Kind

**Hello sweeties! Welcome to the next chapter. Their relationship is progressing!**

**AllTheLoveInTheW: Not going to say much but Joanna does know, in fact she helps with the plan against Moriarty. Their relationship has some angst in it during the Fall for some reasons but she will end up working it out with Mycroft and helping him in the end. During the two years she and Mycroft continue with their relationship. Not saying much though as my lips are sealed. **

* * *

><p><strong>Joanna's POV<strong>

Joanna Reyer had a problem…not just a little problem but a huge problem that was affecting her ability to work. That problem was her overwhelming infatuation with Mycroft Holmes. Yes, she was undeniably enamored by him. She used to think she was about all those emotions of caring. Caring wasn't and advantage. She had told herself that time and time again when she had gotten close to someone. Caring only led to her getting hurt. It happened with her brothers, with Carlos…but the problem was that the more time she spent around Mycroft, the more she ended up caring. The more time she spent with him, the more she wanted to see him. She loved his smile, in fact she did everything she could to make him smile. He had a nice laugh too and he was rather handsome. Yes she teased him for his poshness but she liked the fact that he actually had manners. He wasn't like everyone else. He was brilliant. He was…he was Mycroft and she had been so wrong about him before and getting to know him now just showed her how stupid she had been before.

He was so sweet too. He brought her coffee every morning and in return she made him tea and brought it to him every evening when they were working late and Anthea had already gone home. She had no clue how to make tea, but it couldn't be that hard could it and she had watched Lexi enough times and watched how Anthea made his tea and even asked her how he took it. She saw him wince a few times when he tasted or saw just a brief down turn of his lips afterwards before he smiled pleasantly at her and she knew it was horrible but he drank it anyway just to not hurt her feelings. So she kept trying. Tea… it was just a simple infusion of free radicals and tannins. She was an intelligence agent for Christ's sake. It shouldn't be that difficult to make a cup of tea that didn't taste like piss water. Apparently not. She didn't give up though and Mycroft kept accepting the tea from her, complimenting her one night when she managed to get the tea slightly better. Ha take that! Joanna was more than happy in her new position. She didn't feel like a social outcast and people actually welcomed her here. It was nice to have Mycroft pleasant greet her in the mornings rather than be greeted with sneers. Nearly everyone in America had hated her except for the old security guard Ernie who was a World War Two vet. If anything the Brits hospitality was nicer.

The Royal Wedding hadn't been too terrible to attend with Mycroft, in fact it had been rather fun. They had caused some mischief together, mostly hijacking the sound system to play songs they were more up to speed with when the music changed to more pop dance music. Frank Sinatra was a favourite of both of theirs and Mycroft was actually a beautiful swing dancer. Apparently his mother forced him and Sherlock to take lessons as children. Joanna loved dancing and Mycroft indulged her. They were sort of companions now. They were slightly more than just friends but not anything more than that. Joanna wasn't sure if she wanted to be anything more or not. She felt comfortable with what they were right now. They spent any free time they had outside of work together, either at his flat or at hers, watching old movies and sampling fine wines that they both had a love for or going out to try new restaurants together. Sometimes they just went to get a coffee on their lunch breaks at a café near the office and chatted about anything they could think of. Some nights when she stayed over late to watch a movie she would spend the night in his guest room and vice versa, some nights he spent the night in her guest room when it got to be too late for him to go home.

They had both been invited to a wine tasting at the Royal Wedding which was where they were heading today. It was in the middle of the day which meant that they got the day off, using their one day off a week in the middle of the week, and Joanna had her hair pined in a half up half down style and had a white dress on with a high collar. The dress had a tight bodice and then a flaring skirt. It was classy and elegant and she had paired it with a pair of gold heels wedge heels. Mycroft had picked her up from her flat, wearing the grey suit she had compliment him on on several occasions and they rode over to the event which was being held at Lady Smallwood's estate. Joanna was slightly nervous as once again there would be a lot of government officials there from different countries along with members of Parliament and other important people. She had yet to actually go to a Parliament meeting as there hadn't been any of late, but she had met each member of the different governments on separate occasions and each had a different opinion of her, most of those negative ones. Mycroft assured her that he would be with her through the event and to not worry and Joanna relaxed slightly at this. No matter how many years she worked as an intelligence agent or in the job she still felt like the girl from the Bronx who stole to help her brothers out even if they told her not to or who had lived on the streets from place to place.

When they arrived they were greeted by Lady Smallwood and her husband and shown inside and Mycroft and Joanna immediately started to mingle with the other heads of state. Mycroft stayed true to his word and stayed by her elbow the entire time. She got to meet many members of Parliament, each who watched her with a critical eye and seemed to look down upon her. That was when she lost her nervousness and drew herself up to her full height, regarding them with a raised eyebrow and studying them in return. Mycroft seemed to look at her with approval and she was surprised by this since they had started off on the wrong foot when she had tried to take over things. Mycroft had been telling her however that Parliament didn't always feel the need to listen to him even. That was the problem. Give a man power and it goes to his head on his quest for even more power. Mycroft used his power to watch over his brother and Lexi which she agreed on as she used her power to do the same. Now that she understood Mycroft's reasoning she could see that he was not like the others. She trusted him, inexplicably. It was a scary feeling for her because trust didn't come easily. Not after everything that had happened in her life and given her profession but he was the sort of man that could be trusted. He hadn't given her a reason not to trust him either and he was rather in the same boat as her.

**Mycroft's POV**

Mycroft was similarly infatuated with Joanna Reyer. Standing so close to her was torture as all he could smell was vanilla and almonds. She also had that little smile on her face. He watched her through all the time they were talking and he noticed suddenly when her smiled faded and she frowned in discomfort. He jumped slightly in surprise when her tiny, warm hand slid into his and he immediately realized that something was wrong when she flicked her gaze up to him with a warning look in her eyes. Mycroft quickly excused them from the group and put a hand on the small of Joanna's back, leading her away to an unoccupied part of the room that was away from the prying eyes of others. Joanna quickly shoved her wine glass into his hands and he realized that her hands were shaking terribly. She frantically started digging in her handbag and she took out something that looked like a PDA which Mycroft recognized was a blood glucose meter after a second. She pulled out the pricker from her purse, her hands trembling and she dropped it.

"Fuck! Shit!" Joanna swore and Mycroft quickly put their wine glasses down on a passing waiter's tray and stooped down to retrieve it for her. "Thank you," Joanna said, slurring her words slightly and she brought her hand up to her forehead. "Fuck," She swore again as she tried to get the test strip into the meter, her hands shaking too badly to do it by herself. Mycroft realized the seriousness of the situation then.

"Here," He told her firmly, taking it from her and doing what she was attempting to do for her in one swift movement. He grabbed her pricker he had retrieved and pricked her finger befoul applying the drop of blood to the test strip. After the count down the number read 32 on the little digital screen.

"Shit," Joanna swore as she looked up at him and Mycroft saw a little fearful look in her eyes. "Mycroft," She slurred, begging for his help.

"What do you need?" Mycroft asked her without a beat. Anything she needed and he would get it for her.

"Sugar…my bag…can't get it myself," She told him slowly and Mycroft took her bag from her and dug around in it for a moment before he found a small bottle that read glucose tablets. He opened the bottle and poured several of the round tablets into Joanna's trembling hand. She popped them into her mouth and chewed on them rapidly.

Mycroft wrapped his arm around her waist and she slumped against him, letting him support her weight as he led her into a small sitting room that was off of the main hall and away from everyone else. It wouldn't do for anyone other than him to see her in her current condition. Tongues would wag and all it took was one whisper before everything could come crashing down. He got her over to a chair and helped her sit before he ducked out of the room and found a waiter. He returned to Joanna's side quickly and held her hand again, unable to do more for her in her current state. The waiter came back a few minute later with a large glass of fizzy drink for her, something Mycroft had remembered might do her some good. Mycroft put his arms around her shoulders, if anything to encourage her to sit up and he got her to slowly sip at the drink as she sat back a bit, leaning slightly against him. After a bit she stopped shaking so badly and seemed a bit more responsive and less cognitively impaired. She rechecked her sugar with his help and this time the digital screen read 162.

"Are you alright?" Mycroft asked her as she took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Yes…I'm fine," She told him slowly as she blinked at him and Mycroft realized just how close they were sitting, closer than they had ever been before. "Thank you Mycroft," Joanna told him, her tone filled with gratitude.

"You're diabetic," Mycroft stated and Joanna nodded once.

"Umm yeah. Since I was seven. Desmond was the one who learnt to take care of me and then he taught Liam and Theo. I was all over the place at first with my numbers and then I kind of got it under control. It's been better over the last few years," Joanna told him as Mycroft watched her closely, studying her to make sure that she really was alright.

"I didn't know," Mycroft said and Joanna looked round at him and shrugged with a little smirk on her face.

"I didn't think you needed to know honey. It's not something I really like people knowing. People tend to think you're weak if you almost pass out," Joanna told him with a little grimace and Mycroft nodded at her slowly before taking a deep breath. He paused for a moment, mulling over what she said.

"Could you…teach me what to do should this or something else happen again?" Mycroft asked her and Joanna's eyes widened in surprise.

"Why would you want to learn how to take care of me? It's not your problem," Joanna told him, shaking her head before she stood up and made for the door and Mycroft grabbed her hand and pulled him back to her as he stood up and she turned back to him, raising her eyebrow.

"I care for you," Mycroft admitted and her eyes widened in surprise. "I'd like to learn so that I can help you," Mycroft told her as Joanna stared back at him blankly. Mycroft waited for a moment, wondering if he had said something wrong by how quiet she was being. Of course…she wouldn't want his help. That was understandable. He was being too forward with her, letting his feelings for her cloud his judgment. She therefore surprised him when she nodded at him.

"Okay…," She said in almost a whisper and then she leaned in and kissed his cheek lightly. "I care for you too you know," She told him before she turned away from him and Mycroft saw her cheeks flush. "Um so you know…we should probably get back before they realize we disappeared," She said, clearing her throat awkwardly as Mycroft blinked slowly. "The wolves might converge if they realized there was fresh meat to pick at," Joanna said, smiling at him tightly before she walked off and left him alone in the room. Mycroft stood there frozen still as she left him. She cared for him too? She had also kissed him. Mycroft had meant what he said. He cared for her greatly and in a way that he never thought that he could care for another person. Maybe he was wrong…maybe someone could love a man like him. He stood up straight and took a deep breath before striding out of the room and going to find Joanna. He found her talking with the ambassador of Germany and France. He stopped her side and she looked over at him and smiled before going back to chatting and he jumped into the conversation when he saw a chance to. That little smile to Mycroft was a sign of hope and the smell of almonds and vanilla once again reached his nose as she leaned in closer to him and rested her shoulder against his own.

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><p><strong>So...Joanna is a Type 1 Diabetic. These symptoms are all factual too. My sister has had type 1 diabetes since she was five so I'm used to all of this. This is to show that not even Joanna is flawless, in fact she has several weaknesses. Mycroft does too. They both therefore take care of each other like Lock and Lexi. <strong>


	10. Pressing The Right Buttons

**Ha so Joanie took over this one shot so I hope you all like it. I'm working on the next one now to make up for the lack over the last few days of JoCroft. Urg. What else can you do when your cold turns into a chest cold? So umm yeah I'll stop talking now. We hit Reichenbach for them in the next prompt and then we have two others for the two month gap we see in TRS and then I have several other's which center in on their work during Reichenbach so Allons-y!**

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><p>One thing that Mycroft and Joanna should have realized before it ever began was that they both were highly competitive. It started off innocently with Joanna challenging him to a game of Boggle he had left out on the coffee table after a day of intense cleaning to cope with his OCD. Joanna had come over for another night of wine and old movies, this time including some fine Italian takeout from a place they had discovered together at lunch one day at work. The night could have almost been constituted as a date, as could have many of the nights like it that Joanna spent in his company, but they weren't. The game of Boggle soon led to war. First Joanna won Boggle, then she won Scrabble and Monopoly. She was also first rate at Battleships, Connect Four, and Operation. He had tried Risk…an unfortunate decision on his part as Joanna had him beat in under an hour. It was more irritating play with her than it ever was playing with Sherlock. She was a strategist and she say moves that even he didn't see. He tried Checkers and she had won. He tried Chess which he had always excelled at, beaten Sherlock at, and had won awards for at boarding school and still she had beaten him. Joanna was a gracious winner however and she never even rubbed the fact that she kept beating him in his face, not even once. Sherlock would have loved it however and would have mocked him every chance he got. She simply would get up, touch his arm briefly or press a kiss to his cheek and then go off to make them both homemade hot chocolate. Those fleeting moments of contact with her left him nearly insane as the scent of almonds and vanilla overwhelmed his senses. She probably had no idea what affect her perfume had on him. She was like a temptress, one that cast him into his own personal Hell.<p>

Mycroft was determined to find a game that Joanna couldn't win. It wasn't him acting childish, but some needed for a sense of accomplishment. It wounded his pride slightly that a woman much smaller than him was able to best him so easily. That was why he had spent some time doing research before he had gone out and purchased a gaming system with a few of the most popular competitive games on the market…well he had sent Anthea to purchase them. He had invited Joanna over on their day off after setting the system up the night before and she had come over with takeout Chinese from a little restaurant they had found near his house on one late night. When she stepped into his living room with the bag of take away she took one look at the gaming system he had set up, to his large flat screen, and then she had smirked at him before she had sauntered past him into his kitchen, bumping him slightly with her hip as she did so. They enjoyed a delicious dinner together at his dining table along with a glass of wine before they reconvened in the living room. Joanna carried her wine through with her, they were working through their second bottle of wine now, and Mycroft put the first game into the gaming system while Joanna picked up the game box as she sat down on the couch.

"Mario kart?" Joanna asked him, raising her eyebrow at him and smirking slightly as he took her wine from her and handed her over a controller instead.

"It's supposed to be popular," Mycroft told her with a slight shrug as he sat down beside her on the couch, instantly smelling almonds and vanilla and nearly groaning. "A racing game apparently," He informed her as the startup menu came on the screen and cheerful music came up. Mycroft grimaced slightly at the graphics and 3D images.

"Whatever floats your boat I guess," Joanna told him as she leaned her head back towards him so that her head nearly rested on his shoulder before she turned her attention back to the television screen. Mycroft went through the options and set up the first match for them as Joanna leaned forward and grabbed her wine glass and lazily sipped it.

"3…2…1...," The voice counted down as they sat shoulder to shoulder on the couch and Joanna put her wine down again and held the controller more firmly in her smaller hands. "Go!" The animated voice said and the game started. They both began the race by fumbling around and trying to get a hang of the controllers. Mycroft figured it out a few seconds before Joanna and he used his head start to his advantage. He quickly made it into the lead before he obtained some power up.

"You bastard!" Joanna shouted as he sent her spinning in circles and Mycroft smirked smugly as she fumbled around to recover. The game continued as Mycroft remained well into the lead. "What the fuck?! Why would you do that to me!?" Joanna shouted as he sent her spinning out of control again. By the third time he did it she was severely pissed off and her face was flushed slightly, her nose wrinkled up and her hair falling down around her shoulders since she had ripped it out of its ponytail. "Mycroft Fucking Holmes! I swear to every deity that you will not live to your next fucking birthday if you do that one more fucking time!" Joanna shouted at him as she smacked him roughly with one of his couch pillows before she swore again loudly and insulted someone's mother in Russian.

"Language," Mycroft chastised her once he was assured that she had no more pillows within reach.

"I'll say whatever the fuck I want thank you very much. I'm a grown woman," Joanna told him as she elbowed him slightly in the ribs and Mycroft let out a slight groan. It wasn't painful, just unexpected. Joanna swore even louder and probably insulted his own mother when he won their race.

"That's so unfair!" Joanna complained before she crossed her arms over her chest and pouted in an adorable way as she huffed and Mycroft smiled smugly at her.

"Truce?" Mycroft asked her, holding his hand out to her and she grumbled, turning her head away from him and refusing to even look at him. He nudged her in the side and she finally looked over at him and sighed, rolling her eyes and smiling ever so slightly as she shook his hand. "Would you like to try something different?" Mycroft asked her and she shrugged at him.

"Might as well. Maybe something less rage inducing," She told him and Mycroft got up as she retrieved her wine glass and finished off the rest of her wine as he changed the game. This one was some sort of capture the flag game and they were put on separate teams. Mycroft should have known before he even put the game in that it was a bad one to play with Joanna. She fought dirty and this game was more natural for her. She killed him first and she laughed joyfully as she did so. It was slightly terrifying to see.

"Ha come at me bro!" Joanna told him and Mycroft looked over at her in confusion over the terminology. In what way was he supposed to come at her and how was he her "bro"? That was just the first in a very long kill streak for her and Mycroft could barely survive for longer than a few seconds. The longer they played this game the more he was getting frustrated. "Haha take that!" Joanna said as she killed him once again just as he was about to capture her flag. She had been nowhere near him and then she had just come out of nowhere and killed him.

"What the fuck was that?" Mycroft demanded of her and Joanna froze and stopped playing, Mycroft finally killing her for the first time. "What?" Mycroft asked her, frowning in confusion as he noticed that Joanna was staring at him in shock.

"You swore. That was the first time you've sworn," Joanna said in surprise as she pointed at him and Mycroft realized that she was right. He never used that kind of language and he had just sworn. "Ha! I've finally corrupted you!" Joanna crowed in triumph. "Watch out London! Mycroft Holmes is a badass," Joanna said before she dissolved into giggles beside him.

"Yes, how amusing," Mycroft told her before he got up and shut off that game.

"Aww," Joanna whined, making a little pouting face. "I liked that game. You were just mad that I was winning," Joanna accused him as Mycroft looked back at her.

"I'm more concerned with the foul language that it induced," Mycroft told her and Joanna huffed before she stood up and walked over to him.

"What other games do you have then?" She asked him as she bent down and looked through the small stack he had on the floor. "Oh my God! We are so playing this!" Joanna shouted excitedly as she pulled Guitar Hero from the stack.

"I don't know about that one. Anthea picked that one out," Mycroft told her, trying to disease her from choosing the only game that his P.A. and not he had picked.

"Nope, my turn to pick," Joanna told him stubbornly before she switched out the games and plugged the two guitar controllers in, handing one over to him. "And I say that we have a bit of fun," Joanna told him with a cheeky grin and he gulped.

They started off playing "I Love Rock 'n Roll" tighter and soon they good really good at the game. Mycroft grinned at Joanna as she started singing along with the songs. Her voice really was beautiful. Mycroft relaxed with her, losing his waist coat and unbuttoning his cuffs and the first few buttons on his dress shirt as he let himself let loose slightly. Joanna lost her shoes at some point and they started in on their third bottle of wine.

"Oh my God, this song!" Joanna said as she chose "Killer Queen" by Queen. "This is so your theme song," Joanna said as it started.

"In what way?" Mycroft asked her in confusion.

"Honey, you're a killer queen! A drama queen at least. Besides, you barely relax and let yourself not be the government," Joanna told him and Mycroft snorted at her.

"I am now," Mycroft pointed out to her and she smirked at him.

"True," She said and they went back to playing, enjoying the game a bit longer until Joanna challenged him to another race. That game ended with the same results as the first only with a lot more swearing on Joanna's part and Mycroft racing to his room as he got chased with one of the couch pillows. He managed to get into his room and lock the door before Joanna caught him but several moments later his door burst open and revealed Joanna holding up a hair pin. "Never run away from an intelligence agent honey," She told him as she stalked inside his room with the couch cushion before she threw it aside and tackled him.

She jumped on his back and they fell sideways onto his bed, Joanna landing right on top of him. It was an odd thing and very awkward for Mycroft as he hadn't had a woman in his room in the last few years or on top of him either, she giggled breathlessly on top of him as Mycroft froze underneath her, intoxicated by the scent of vanilla and almonds that were filling his senses. He lifted his head slightly at the same moment that she lowered her head and in that moment their lips met, a soft brushing only. Joanna stopped laughing instantly and pulled back slightly and their eyes met. Hers were widened in surprise and Mycroft was quite sure his were as well. She quickly scrambled upright and off of him, falling awkwardly beside him and then she let out a cry of surprise as she fell off of his bed.

"Joanna," Mycroft called as he sat up and he looked down to see Joanna looking slightly dazed on the floor and holding her head where she had no doubt hit it on his floorboards. "Are you alright?" He asked her worriedly as he slid off his bed and onto the floor beside her as he helped her sit up and she turned towards him slowly, wincing a bit.

"Um, yeah…sorry…not exactly the best reaction," Joanna said sheepishly as Mycroft shifted his leg so that he was leaning his back against his bed and his legs were folded in front of him near Joanna as she sat up facing him, her legs tucked under her.

"I apologize…it wasn't my intention to," Mycroft told her and she suddenly raised her finger to his lips and shushed him.

"No don't. Don't apologize or deny that you've been wanting to do that for a while," Joanna said and Mycroft swallowed thickly. This was the part where she told him that they were never going to be anything more than friends. "You…you're not the only one," Joanna said suddenly before she leaned in closer to him, looking up at his eyes and Mycroft's eyes widened in surprise as he realized what she was doing. She leaned in even closer, seemingly looking for any hesitation from him before she titled her head up and her lips connected with his again.

This time it was not just a simple brushing of their lips. It was a lot more firm and Joanna's warm hand slid up this cheek and cupped it as she drew him closer to her. Mycroft brought his hand up and wrapped it around her waist as the smell of almonds and vanilla overwhelmed him. Mycroft made a surprised sound as Joanna slipped her tongue into his mouth and tangled it with his own. She hummed out a sound that Mycroft registered was a moan after a second and Mycroft reacted on an instinctual level and drew her closer to him so that she was actually sitting in his lap. She brought both of her arms up around his neck and her chest fell flush against him as his arms tightened around her waist. They broke apart from their kiss finally when the need for oxygen finally got to be too much. Mycroft rested his forehead against Joanna's as she had her eyes closed and then she opened them, her blue eyes meeting his grey.

"That was…," Joanna said and Mycroft hummed in agreement, still speechless. He still felt a bit self-conscious and awkward about this entire situation. "Does that mean we can continue this?" Joanna asked him suddenly and Mycroft snapped out of his stupor. She wanted to kiss him? She raised her eyebrow at him, waiting for a response.

"You would like to kiss me?" Mycroft asked her and she nodded at him.

"Kind of the point of the question love," Joanna told him as she watched him and Mycroft was hit with another stab of shock at the term of endearment.

"Why?" Mycroft asked her and in that moment he was completely vulnerable, a position he never allowed himself to be in.

"Because I find myself strongly attracted to you...," Joanna told him as she leaned in closer to his face and bit her already swollen lip in an enticing way and Mycroft swallowed thickly. "And I would very much like to snog you right now," Joanna told him bluntly before she waited. Mycroft realized that she was giving him a choice. She was waiting for him to say yes or no.

The rational half of his brain told him this wasn't a good idea and to just tell her no, that there was no possibly of any relations with him. He was married to his work and he had no need for any sort of companionship. Then the other half of his brain that was newly less logical was screaming at him to say yes. A rather beautiful woman, if Mycroft was being honest, wanted to snog him and was sitting on his lap. This was the most amount of human contact he had had in years. He hadn't had a relationship, even just a sexual one, in five years. Joanna was interested in him of all people and she wanted to kiss him. Yes, it might be considered unprofessional as they worked together but she had captured his attention and was driving him insane nearly every day with her smiles and her divine smell. Before either half of his brain could formulate a response Mycroft found himself nodding numbly. Suddenly Joanna's lips were crashing down onto his own again. He let out a sound which he realized was his own moan and he nearly froze but then he felt Joanna's hands running through his hair as she shifted on his lap to straddle his waist. He moved his hands to her waist and gripped it tightly as she thoroughly explored his mouth with her tongue and when they broke apart they were both breathing heavily. Mycroft had kissed women before but he never knew it to be as pleasurable as this. Rationally he told himself he should end this but the rational part of his brain was no longer in control. Joanna put both of her hands on his chest to steady herself as she put her forehead on his again and Mycroft saw her grin as he looked at her swollen lips with a bit of a smug look on his face. Joanna ran her fingers through his hair again and scratched his scalp in a pleasant way and Mycroft let out a low growl before pushing his lips up to Joanna's in a fierce kiss. They continued in this manner for several more minutes before breaking apart again.

"Well?" Joanna asked him as she pulled back to look in his eyes and she raised her eyebrow at him with a slight smirk on her face.

"Pleasant," Mycroft told her in contentment before he brought one of his hands up from her waist and experimentally rubbed one of her curls through his fingers. They were even softer than they looked and when he moved them he caught the scent of cherry blossoms.

"It'll do for now," Joanna told him cheekily with a little chuckled before she kissed his forehead, a hint of a promise in her eyes. Mycroft swallowed nervously and Joanna winked at him as she got to her feet before reaching out a hand to him to help him up. He accepted it and let her pull him to his feet, surprised when she was able to pull him to his feet without any issues. She grinned at him cheekily and he felt the blood run to his cheeks as she leaned up on tip toe before frowning as she realized she still couldn't reach his lips. Mycroft obliged her by stooping down and she pressed a light kiss to his lips, this one not heated or passionate, but tender and affectionate. "Night love," She told him before she left him in his room alone and he heard her slip into the room across the hall and close the door. Mycroft shook his head for a moment before he started to get undressed and ready for bed, picking up his couch cushion and smiling at it ruefully as he set it on his chair in the corner of his room. He could worry about the state of his house in the morning. As he fell into bed with a grin on his face Mycroft realized that a less rational part of his brain was taking over his actions but he couldn't be completely frightened by it because what had happened with Joanna had felt completely right. Dare he say it? Could it be love?


	11. Giving In

**Hello sweeties! So while I am sick I am trying to catch Joanna and Mycroft up to where I am in the main story so tomorrow, hopefully, I can get the next two prompts finished. Then we can be all caught up and I can work on the next bits. Hope you enjoy!**

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><p>Mycroft nervously looked across the table to where Joanna sat, casually reclining in her chair as she sipped on her wine. Saint-Emilion 2001, their preferred wine. After their gaming fiasco which had turned into a snogging session on the floor of his bedroom, something had changed between them drastically. They hadn't shared any more kisses since that night and the morning after had been tense, but Mycroft felt the vertical shift and the pull towards Joanna just the same. Every so often when he caught her working and she would bite her lip he would be reminded of tasting the wine that night on her lips. Anthea had pushed him and pushed him until he had asked Joanna out on a date, not just to his house for wine and a movie, but out a on a proper date. Joanna had surprised him by actually saying yes. He thought that she would have declined, would have realized that she might have just had too much to drink that night like he had and that kissing him was a momentary lapse in judgment. She was however perfectly sober when she agreed to go out with him. He had brought her out to a wonderful restaurant in the city and so far thing seemed to be going well.<p>

Unbeknownst to Mycroft Joanna was anything but calm. In fact she was terrified. When Mycroft had asked her out on a date she could see he was, like a school boy, nervous and she had immediately said yes. She cursed herself for him having this sort of hold over her and played it off as this crush or infatuation. As much as she tried she couldn't get the image or the feeling of her snogging Mycroft Holmes out of her head. He was certainly not the Iceman. He snogged with an air of authority yes, but with enough passion that it could start a million fires, burn Rome to the ground. Joanna was naturally a confident person but for once in her life she was left utterly shy and like a teenager going on her first date she had spent hours getting ready before Mycroft came to pick her up. She showered and got her hair ready, opting to keep it down and even spend the painstaking time to curl it because she noticed that Mycroft seemed drawn to her hair, especially when it was down, before she had tried on no less than five different outfits. She hated each and every one of them for different reasons before she had just pulled on the first one again. It was a modest one shouldered silver sequined dress that fell to her knees and she had paired it with a simple pair of silver hoop earrings and black heels. Just a sweep of black eyeliner was enough to make her eyes pop and just a bit of rose lip stain to draw attention to her lips. The rest of her features she kept entirely natural. She sipped on her wine, watching Mycroft across the table who looked absolutely handsome in his grey three piece suit that she liked.

The truth of the matter was that Mycroft had never actually been on a proper date before. He thought however as he looked across the table at Joanna who was eyeing him with an intense stare, that she seemed to be enjoying herself. She smirked at him playfully as she raised her wine glass to her lips and Mycroft growled slightly under his breath. The truth of the matter was that Joanna had never been on a proper date before either, but she was enjoying teasing Mycroft with being extremely flirty and suggestive tonight. For one as intelligent as him, he didn't always pick up on the fact that she was flirting with him, like when he had missed it all before. Mycroft wasn't sure where this date was going exactly at this point. Joanna was highly intelligent and she understood the things he talked about without him having to explain them to her first which was highly pleasing. For once he had met someone who was equal to him that was not his brother or Lexi. Joanna also seemed to be interested in listening to him. She had the foulest mouth that he had ever heard before and he was trying to teach her restraint, but she also had exceptional manners. Her accent had dulled slightly in the several months she had been living in England but it still came out strongly when she was swearing or angry. Mycroft actually hadn't been on the receiving end of her anger for a while now.

Joanna was currently terrorizing a group of the members of parliament that had been giving him a hard time over the recent elections. Unbeknownst to Mycroft, Joanna was also looking into some of the rogue governments that were starting to get a bit out of hand. There were some things that Joanna was keeping from Mycroft for now, things it was better for him not to know as that would only require her to explain more about who she actually was in terms of her intelligence agent identity. She wanted to tell him, but it wasn't entirely safe either. Her new identity protected people. Right now she was following the whispers about Moriarty. Oh she had heard about him before. A few years back before he started his games with Lexi and Sherlock she had heard a few whispers through the web about him. She cast her own nets out and never found out much about him only he had some sort of criminal empire. Unfortunately now her looking for him might mean that some whispers about herself got back to him but he would never find much about her not be able to trace Lady Liberty back to the name Joanna Reyer. For now she was safe and would collect what little information she could about the consulting criminal.

Mycroft and Joanna enjoyed their dinner together which was only interrupted by official calls twice which Joanna quickly dealt with on her mobile. They chatted, got to know each other better and drank even more wine. After dinner Mycroft was going to escort Joanna to the theatre where he had procured two tickets to her favourite play, "Much Ado About Nothing, but that was about the time that England decided to fall due to their absence. They were called back to the office by Anthea due to a potential security breach that could have massive effects about national security. They had taken one look at each other before Mycroft had thrown several hundred pound notes onto the table and they grabbed their coats, pulling them on swiftly as they rushed to the door, the other restaurant goers watching them in surprise. They rushed back to their offices in the city and as soon as they arrived Mycroft was handed over a phone which already had the Prime Minister on the line. He started talking to him, trying to assuage his fears while he followed Joanna into her office. She hurriedly sat behind her desk and woke up her computer before she got to work, her fingers flying across the keys faster than Mycroft could watch.

"Level Three Security Breach," Joanna informed him as she called it up on her computer. "They tried to hack us for information, but they came across my own firewalls. I wasn't taking chances. When I started working here I reworked all the security measures and added even more layers to them," Joanna told him as she glanced up at him, her fingers still speeding over the keys. "It wasn't Lexi if you're wondering. This person was just snooping around in general. If it was Lexi she would have been looking for something in specific and would have only looked at that. This person wanted a look at everything. They also tried to attack and shut down my servers but we caught it in time. They were good, I'll give them that, but not nearly good enough. This wasn't your typical kid trying to hack the government from his Mum's back room. It wasn't another government either. This was a freelancer," Joanna told Mycroft who nodded at her once before leaving her to do her work while he attempted to keep information about them almost getting hacked from getting out.

Somehow they both ended up working through the night. Joanna checked the security before adding more layers to it and then she helped Mycroft take care of the calls and lines of communication and procedures that that to be seen to. At eleven o'clock the next morning, the Tower of London, the Bank of England, and Pentonville prison were all broken into by one man at the same exact moment, James Moriarty. Joanna swore profusely as Mycroft sat back in his chair in shock and horror as he had let Moriarty go not but a few weeks prior. He had never even told Joanna that he had had Moriarty in his custody. At the time they had been fighting and he wasn't sure if he could even trust Joanna yet. There was also the fact the Moriarty would be highly interested in a woman like Joanna Reyer. Mycroft hoped that by not telling Joanna, that by keeping her away from the man that the two would never meet. Lexi had already been thrown into his path another woman did not need to become his obsession. Joanna possessed many skills that Moriarty would find appealing and while Mycroft had been starting to trust her, he wasn't sure if she would join Moriarty if given the option to or not. Now that he knew her he knew it would never be a choice she would make. She was like Lexi and while Joanna may feel her morals were in the grey area, she was on the side of the Angels. The message that Moriarty had left at the White Tower only increased Mycroft's fears for his brother and Lexi. After he and Joanna worked for several more hours to combat this new security breach, relying heavily upon the help of Anthea and her brewing abilities, they both finally stumbled tiredly out of their offices. As they sat next to each other in the car, Mycroft having convinced Joanna to stay with him for the time being, just until they were sure what was going on with Moriarty being back, they finally got a moment to talk about normal things outside of work.

"I apologize that our date was ruined," Mycroft told Joanna who turned to him tiredly, even with her hair a mess and her eyes bloodshot still managing to look heavenly, and she just shrugged at him and the smiled slightly.

"It wasn't ruined honey. I had a great time at dine," She told him before she yawned loudly. "Besides, life's never going to be normal for us amante," Joanna told him before she leaned her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. Mycroft froze not only because of the close contact with her that sent up the scent of almonds, vanilla, and cherry blossoms, but also because of what she had called him. Amante literally meant lover. Did she…? Could she…? He looked down at her and realized that she had fallen asleep against him.

The act of sleeping on or around another person generally meant that you were comfortable around them as you were most vulnerable in sleep. Therefore, Joanna choosing to sleep on and around him means she was comfortable around him and trusted him. Mycroft smiled a bit to himself, not used to this feeling. He was growing to care for Joanna much more than he should. It was hard not to however as Joanna had practically forced her way into anywhere she wanted to be and that included his thoughts and feelings. Joanna still told him what to do at work and he had come to listen to her and realized that she was right. She never told him to do something that was wrong to do. The car arrived at Mycroft's house and Mycroft carefully bundled the sleeping woman up in her coat before he lifted her easily into his arms and removed her from the car. Somehow he managed to unlock his door and enter his home will still carrying Joanna who hadn't awoken and who had in fact turned her head into his chest and nuzzled her face into his suit jacket.

Mycroft smiled slightly as he got her inside and brought her straight to his guest room, or Joanna's room as it contained some of her possessions now including a pair of pajamas and toiletries as well as a set of work clothes. He laid her out on the bed, pulling back the covers with one arm and the tucking her gently in. He slipped off her coat and shoes and pulled the blanket up to her shoulder before leaning down and pressing a kiss to her hairline. He spared one looks around the room before he went to his own room and stripped out of his suit until he was only in his boxers and undershirt. He fell into his bed and groaned slightly, not at all concerned about the state of his suit which he had left on the floor. In his last few moments of wakefulness Mycroft Holmes realized that his life had drastically changed as he had just done something as domestic and sentimental as put a woman to bed. A part of him wanted to also call Joanna his woman and that was the moment that Mycroft Holmes also realized that he was done for. He was giving in to a woman that barely even made it up to half way up his chest.


	12. Caring Is An Advantage

**Hello sweeties so here is the next chapter. One more today if I can get it finished and then I have to work on a few as my cold gets worse. It is turning into bronchitis now. Lovely. I had this at the end of last term as well so you might see some delays. I also have a huge test to study for so you might not get another chapter for this until Thursday but the next chapter is the first rated M one and the one that is the worst out of all of them so far... Allons-y!**

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><p>Mycroft Holmes did not cuddle. In fact, the very notion of cuddling was a foreign concept to him, but somehow he found himself cuddling with his girlfriend on his couch. Girlfriend. The term seemed too basic to ever use for Joanna, but in all matters of definitions that was what she now was. After Moriarty broke into three places simultaneously they were able to rearrest him only this time it was Scotland Yard and not the government that had a hold of him. He was set to stand trial which resulted in a not guilty verdict. Joanna told him that Moriarty had visited Sherlock and Lexi but Lexi was keeping silent about what actually went on during that meeting. Apparently not even the army doctor knew. Joanna went quiet sometimes when they talked about Moriarty at work. Things had settled down now that nothing else had happened and he had just slunk back away to wherever he came from, but they were of course still monitoring for his return. During the entire ordeal Mycroft had gone on a second date with Joanna which ended far better than the first and actually ended with a snogging session, this time on the couch of her flat before he, like a gentleman, declared that the hour was late and went home.<p>

Mycroft found himself greatly enjoying Joanna's company, far more than he had ever enjoyed the company of a woman before. She could be brash and vulgar at times but Mycroft was impressed with the fact that she spoke her mind, regardless of whomever might question her for it. Joanna was the sweetest woman he had ever known too. She was kind and caring and very affectionate and Mycroft actually found that he liked someone to be showing their affections towards him. She used many more endearing terms for him over the last few weeks but left them all out of the office. At work she was professional but as soon as they stepped out of that office building and onto the pavement to wait for the car she would move closer to him and get that look on her face. Mycroft could see that she was separating their relationship from work, as it should be and he was grateful that she was able to. It was what he needed to do too. So…for all of this and despite the fact that the British Government certainly did not cuddle thank you very much, Mycroft found Joanna curled up next to him in his living room, her head on his chest and her arm loosely around his waist.

Mycroft felt very uncomfortable and self-conscious about this fact, but he sat rigidly and wrapped and arm around Joanna's shoulders, unsure exactly where he should put his hands. Joanna shifted in his arms again and Mycroft fought back a grimace. That was the third time in a matter of minutes that she had squirmed. Couldn't she just get comfortable? The thing was…Joanna had somehow managed to catch a rather nasty cold and over the last week she had been battling it inside the office. The tissues littering nearly every available surface in her own office had gotten out of hand when she moved into his office for company and as much as Mycroft cared for her there was no amount of work he could get done with her constantly coughing and disrupting his attention. He had therefore called for a two day leave of absence for the both of them and had promptly brought her over to his own flat so that she would get the proper care. If she got some proper rest she would get better sooner and then all of this would be taken care of. At least that was the excuse Mycroft was telling himself for why he was doing this.

That was another thing. Joanna was now somewhat living in his spare bedroom. It was easier he told himself as they often had work they needed to complete together outside of the office and it saved her having to come over and they could work longer if she was already there. It was odd sharing a house with another living person. Mycroft, very shockingly for him, actually found that he enjoyed her presence in his home. The occasional times that Joanna returned to her own flat for clean clothes or other objects of importance or simply went out without him were times that Mycroft found the house to be too quiet and empty. He never noticed before how his three bedroom house could be so empty and cold with just him in it and he had been living alone for years. While it was annoying when Joanna started singing and dancing around the place like an idiot it was also oddly endearing and Mycroft missed it when she was absent. Her singing was quite beautiful though he had yet to tell her and he would always listen to her on the occasions when she did sing. Mycroft had come to realize that she only sang on the occasions when she was extreamly happy and much of this occurred when she was around him. Their lives had become slightly domestic with her making him breakfast in the mornings as he made the tea, she still couldn't make a decent cuppa to save her life, before they both headed into the office together and went their separate ways until they saw each other again at evening and went to get something for dinner and possibly shared a glass of wine, maybe a few light kisses before they went to bed. None of that was happening tonight however as Mycroft played nursemaid to a miserable Joanna.

"My," Joanna mumbled quietly into the fabric of his waistcoat, her voice hoarse from her coughing which had kept them both awake the night before for all the insulation he had put in his walls.

"Hmm?" Mycroft hummed as he looked down at the woman he had in his arms, only to find her bloodshot blue eyes looking up at him, half lidded as her cold medicine had been making her especially tired all day.

"You don't have to take care of me you know," Joanna told him as she looked down again and played with the overly large sleeved of her jumper. She was currently wearing a jumper that was too big for her, along with grey yoga pants while Mycroft was of course dressed as usually minus his suit jacket and his cuffs and shirt were slightly unbuttoned.

"I know," Mycroft told her simply. He knew that he could be at work now, be he had held all of his meetings and calls. The British Government was officially taking some much deserved time off. Mycroft couldn't even think of leaving Joanna to fend for herself when she felt this bad off and the very notion of doing so made him start to worry about her. What is she required his assistance and he wasn't there? These thoughts were highly irrational but Mycroft couldn't shake them. He was starting to care far too much and highly illogical thinking came to follow.

"Thank you amanate," Joanna said quietly before she wrapped her arm around his waist tighter in what could only be defined as a hug. She snuggled her head down into his chest and Mycroft froze as his mind processed this. She was hugging him and drawing herself closer to him while thanking him for doing something as simple as sitting and breathing next to her. The insecurities and ice broke then. For the first time in his life someone wanted him. Not Sherlock, him. Someone was actually glad that he was there with them. Sherlock had always been the favourite at home.

"Joanna?" Mycroft asked her, hesitating slightly as he tried to figure out how he was going to word his question. It was one that begged to be answered now that they had come to this point, now that it had been several weeks of this. She hummed questioningly and Mycroft breathed in deeply before he just continued. "What are we? What am I to you exactly?" Mycroft asked her, being forthright with it and Joanna lifted her head and looked up at him, frowning slightly, her nose wrinkling up in that adorable fashion.

"I thought you knew Mr. Deductionist," Joanna said as she smiled slightly up at him then she drew in a deep breath, moving her head away quickly as she started coughing and Mycroft instinctively brought his hand up to her back and rubbed it to sooth her cough fit which stopped after a moment. She turned back to him with a grateful look on her face. "I care for you, deeply. I won't tell you I love you because I don't know if I do yet. Myc…love, relationships, feelings are all a bit foreign to me. I always believed that caring wasn't an advantage because you could get hurt or others could get hurt and the job that I do…I just, I don't care any more. Because I do quite possibly love you and yes that terrifies me but it's almost like a nice fear. I haven't had the nicest of lives but so far you are the best thing to have ever happened to me. Whether or not this continues or not I made a friend, but I want to know. Does this feel right to you, being with me?" Joanna asked him seriously and Mycroft listened to each and every one of her words, shocked slightly that she had the same thoughts on caring as he did before he hummed at her question and nodded.

"I too have always believed caring to be a disadvantage. I learnt early on that caring only ended in getting hurt…," Mycroft told her, drawing in a deep breath and she slipped her hand into his and squeezed it tightly.

"My, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," Joanna told him as she scooted closer to him on the couch so she was once again pressed up against his side and Mycroft wrapped his arm around her waist and drew her closer to him.

"I think I might want to…," Mycroft told her, unsure if he really did or didn't. Joanna seemed to feel better after she told him about what was bothering her and well…certain things of late were bothering Mycroft, especially something about his brother and what Mycroft might have done wrong. He made an enormous mistake and he didn't know how to fix it and very soon it would all come out. He felt Joanna nodded against his chest and she rubbed a few soothing circles over his knuckles and he knew that was her way of encouraging him silently, without pressing him. Mycroft took a deep breath before he started talking. "Sherlock and I used to be very close you know. I was seven when he was born. I was excited to be a big brother, to have someone I could teach. Sherlock was a fussy baby though. It wasn't nearly what I was expecting. I don't even know what I was expecting. I was already in school. I was getting teased terribly for my name so my parents decided to give Sherlock a normal first name and then a unique second first name. I was teased for many things, but being named Mycroft was one of them. I wasn't as …athletic as the rest of the boys. I preferred my books to sports. Sherlock got older and so did I and we were friends. He was mostly the only friend I had. We would play pirates since it was his favourite, even if I didn't particularly enjoy it. Then I turned twelve and Sherlock was five and my parents decided it would be best to send me off to boarding school. I became…bitter," Mycroft admitted and Joanna looked up at him and watched him as Mycroft stared ahead and played absentmindedly with a strand of her hair. "Perfect Sherlock could do no wrong at least not in our mother's eyes. Our parents paid more attention to him since he was younger, never mind the fact that I needed them as well. Then they just decided to send me off. Well I was twelve… in my eyes they wanted to get rid of me so they could have more time with Sherlock. I always wanted a pet but was told I could never ha e one but as soon as I left for school, Sherlock got a dog. Redbeard liked me too, but it was never the same. I was the only one never to call Sherlock a freak, to comfort him when he was bullied as he started school, but that summer I came home even I began to call him a freak. I was the smart one, always the smart one and that was the start of our feud. Sherlock never could forgive me and I never could forgive him. Our parents clearly played favourites. I needed them too but it was always about perfect Sherlock," Mycroft said bitterly and then he felt Joanna's tiny hand on his face and she turned his head so that he was looking down at her. Her expression was neutral and she rubbed her thumb over his jawbone before moving herself up and pressing a feather light kiss on his cheek.

"Honey," Joanna sighed. "I don't think it was playing favourites," She said, cutting him off when he went to interrupt her. "Honey your parents love you. Sherlock is seven years younger than you and he is a handful. He needed more attention that you. It wasn't right that you got pushed to the side, but it also wasn't right for you to be bitter and take it out on Sherlock either. Lexi and I have mixed views on your brotherly feud. You're both idiots and things are probably never going to change, but you care about each other enough and that is all that matters. Because you need that honey. Lexi and I are like sisters for a reason," Joanna told him and Mycroft contemplated her response for a long moment before speak again.

"It does feel right, this," Mycroft told her and she frowned slightly in confusion. "You asked me if this felt right being with you. It does…. I care for you Joanna deeply. I don't know if I am a man capable of love however. Relationships have never been my forte, but I would very much like us to be…together," Mycroft told her honestly and she smiled at him.

"Alright then. I guess we already were though," Joanna said as she snuggled her head back down against his chest. "At least it didn't take us fighting, a Dominatrix, and a trip half way around the world to admit we had feelings for each other," Joanna laughed before coughing again.

"Well I am the smart one," Mycroft said with a smug smile as he drew Joanna in closer to him, finally realizing where he should put his hands and putting on around her waist and using the other to play with her hair which really was as soft as it looked. Joanna laughed again as she tilted her head up to look at him.

"I think Mr. Holmes that you are," Joanna said with a bright smile before Mycroft pressed a kiss to her forehead. They snuggled down together again before throwing out ideas. If they were dating officially as they were now, the term girlfriend or boyfriend didn't fit for two individuals who were forty one and thirty eight. Significant other sounded way too mushy for the both of them and thus they settled on partners. Partners in crime… partners in life, partners in just about everything. The Joanna had to not be serious for a moment and say that she could always just keep calling him amante, her lover. Whatever they were, they were officially Britain's most powerful couple and soon, very, very soon Moriarty would return and the Fall would come…for it had already began.


	13. London Can Fuck Off

**WARNING! RATED M- EXPLICIT CONTENT!**

**Okay sweeties so Melody has decided to write a smut scene between Joanna and Mycroft. If I could explain their sex life in one word: Rabbits. So um just be cautious. I am not graphic, blow by blow of what happens. Mine is actually rather tame but...yeah just be advised. This story will have the occasional smut chapter or scene in it. TRS does not but will have two smutty one shots. There you go. So um bye**

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><p>Mycroft Holmes awoke with a pounding headache that immediately told him he had a hangover, something he hadn't experienced since his ill-fated University days when he was slightly more carefree and had attempted to make friends by going to wild parties where he would black out and forget half of the night before, ending up in the bed of some random female person. Without opening his eyes, as he was slightly terrified at what he would discover, Mycroft came to several startling realizations all at once. One, was that he wasn't wearing any clothes, not even his boxers. He was as naked as the day he was born. Two, there was a body of female build curled around him as his legs were tangled with said females and he had his arm around the bare skin of her hip. He could feel her breasts pushing up against him as she moved her head and snuggled closer to him in her sleep, obviously looking for warmth and Mycroft froze and the shifting of the female near him. Three and very importantly, Mycroft was currently experiencing a morning…problem that he thought he had long since curbed through strict discipline. He was a forty one year old government official for Christ's sakes, not some randy teenager! What surprised him most about this third thing was not really its occurrence, but more the fact that it was his body's reaction to whomever he was laying with. His body was sexually aroused as his brain was subconsciously attracted to the woman lying beside him. Mycroft froze then. Oh God! What had happened last night? Was it Joanna beside him or was it some other random woman? If it wasn't Joanna then he had by all protocol since they were now dating cheated on her. After her last relationship, the one he knew about for certain she would never be able to forgive him for it.<p>

Mycroft opened his eyes slowly, not sure if he really wanted to see who he had quite clearly had sex with the night before. His memory was starting to come back in hazy patches. Shock couldn't even describe how he was feeling when he laid eyes on the woman next to him. Her brown black hair was tangled and haloed out around her back like a lion's mane and it was such a distinctive colour that Mycroft really didn't need to look any further. Joanna's naked, frame, slightly covered by one of his bed sheets, though the rest were on the floor, was pressed against his own. He could see every curve of her back as she was lying on her stomach, her head on his chest. She had an owl tattoo on her right hip which only confirmed his earlier deduction that she loved owls. The sheet did not stop Mycroft's eyes from roaming the length of her body, an action that did nothing to help his painful arousal. Memories of the night before started to flood back to him in very vivid detail.

They had gone out to dinner together which went exceedingly well and they had shared a few drinks well at dinner, more than a few. Then they had gone to the gallery opening together, but both of them had found it boring and crowded so they had returned to his house. He had opened another bottle of wine for them and had put on and old movie for them to watch as they simply relaxed on the couch. He'd taken his suit jacket off and she'd kicked off her heels before she tucked herself under his arm and scooted herself closer to him. Once wine bottle led soon to two at which point Joanna stopped watching the movie and started running kisses up his neck and over his cheek before she started nibbling on his earlobe. At first she had shocked him and he hadn't responded but then he let her carry on with what she was doing, the movie long forgotten. She had moved so she was straddling him and moved her kisses to his mouth instead of his neck. Mycroft responded then, placing his hands on her waist and pulling her closer to him as the wine kicked in. At first he let his brain control his actions but then his brain shut of as she ground down on him. He let out a growl in the back of his throat and pressed up into her, letting the way he was feeling lead the way in this situation. Somehow her dress came off during everything and he somewhat remembered ripping it off of her and throwing it over the back of the couch before they were suddenly up against the wall in the hallway and he lifted her legs up so she could wrap them around his waist as she pressed against his growing erection. His waist coat came off in the hallway, followed closely by his tie as he moved them into his bedroom. His shirt landed on the floor at some point on their walk and her bra joined the trail of clothing on the floor that led to the bed.

Once they were on the bed the rest of their clothes came off and Joanna surprised him once more by taking charge of the situation and pushing him down onto his back. He recalled gazing up at her in reverence and holding onto her hips as she straddled his waist and threw her head back, letting out a moaning sound as she lowered herself onto him. He had growled through his teeth and after a while of watching her move on top of him, letting the sensations wash over them both, he had flipped them both over and pinned her under him, lifting her arms above her head as he hungrily kissed her neck. He was like a man drowning and only she could quench his thirst. When they climaxed it was with only each other's name on each other's lips and quite loudly too. They had laid their panting in the post coital haze, covered in sweat and Mycroft had realized what he had been missing out on for so long by saying caring wasn't an advantage. Sex was ten times better when you had feeling for the person you were doing it with. It wasn't her first time and neither was it his, but it was far better than that as it was their first time together.

In the present, Joanna stirred next to him and she breathed in deeply, signaling that she was now awake. Mycroft froze, unsure of how Joanna would take their current situation. Mycroft surely didn't regret what had happened between them the night before but she might. Mycroft was self- conscious about his figure, but Joanna never seemed to mind it. She told him the she loved him exactly how he was but that was hard for Mycroft to believe. Mycroft rather adored Joanna's figure. She was curved in all the right places and she wasn't thin, at least not by other people's definitions. Joanna could be defensive about her own figure. Mycroft knew she was a size 16 and he didn't care. She was beautiful exactly the way she was. Men thought a woman was only beautiful if she was thin but Mycroft saw curves and rather large breasts, not that he was looking, and a body that was healthy as beautiful. Though Joanna did have rather large breasts. Again, this mental image did nothing to help his…problem. Joanna was an incredible woman and Mycroft cared about her deeply and therein lay the problem as he was also in denial. Mycroft couldn't admit to himself how he truly felt about Joanna. Even after what had just happened between them he still wouldn't be able to admit it. It was only a four letter word but it could change everything between them. Joanna groaned slightly and buried her face into his chest and Mycroft waited, waited because he knew she just remembered what happened too and was regretting it.

"I hate mornings," Joanna suddenly grumbled as she snuggled her body closer to him, rather than pushing herself away as Mycroft had expected her too. He stayed still, frozen in shock as her small hand wrapped around his broad shoulders. "Tell me we don't have to go in today," Joanna mumbled into the skin of his neck, still refusing to open her eyes. Mycroft was unsure where to put his hands as she pressed her entire naked framed to the front of him. Joanna pulled back suddenly and peeled her eyes opened and Mycroft saw a look of concern in her eyes. "Are you okay honey?" She asked him as she slid her hand up to his face and cupped his cheek.

"You're still here," Mycroft mumbled quietly and Joanna's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Of course I am honey. Why wouldn't I be?" She asked him, rubbing her thumb soothingly along his cheek.

"I thought that you would…after we…because I'm…," Mycroft told her in barely a whisper before she cut him off with a deep kiss and Mycroft finally put his arm around her waist and pulled her body closer to his own. "I thought you wouldn't want me," Mycroft finally said aloud when they broke apart and she tilted his chin so he was forced to look at her again as he had looked way from her, unable to meet her eyes.

"I'll always want you. I love you Mycroft Holmes. I love every bit of you. You're the most amazing man I've ever met and you've given me a person I can trust and count on. You've given me a family again and love. I love you and that is never going to change and I don't think it could ever change. Not now, not ever," Joanna told him as she gazed intensely into his eyes and Mycroft could see the honestly and sincerity in her eyes as she spoke.

"I love you too," Mycroft said, the words slipping out of his mouth before he could catch them, but he meant them. It was as easy to say as breathing He did love her because she loved him. For the first time he found someone who could understand him completely and who actually wanted him. He was older than her by three years but she didn't care. She, she was the most amazing woman Mycroft had ever had the fortune of meeting. He crashed his lips against hers and Joanna moaned slightly as Mycroft moved his attentions to her neck. She giggled as he kissed across her shoulder and Mycroft stopped and looked up at her. Her eyes were filled with happiness and she had a large grin on her face as she looked back at him.

"Looks like someone liked what happened last night," Joanna said as she grinned at him impishly and Mycroft looked away from her in embarrassment. "I quite liked it too honey,' Joanna told him as she pulled his chin back so he was forced to looked at her. "I think we can leave the Prime Minister waiting for a while," She mused as she started to kiss a path down his chest in a very seductive and suggestive way. "Don't you agree?" Joanna asked as she paused in her ministrations and looked up at him.

"I can always reschedule," Mycroft told her, his breath catching in his throat and he cursed at himself for acting like a randy teenager, embarrassed by how much need and lust filled his voice. Apparently after denying himself for so long he wasn't as in control of his biological urges as he thought he was and right now what Joanna was doing to him was more than just a little sinful.

"Mmmm good point," I don't want to get out of bed today. Let someone else play government today I don't even care if London is burning. The world can fuck off for a day," Joanna said as she suddenly straddled his hips and Mycroft chuckled at her brashness before the sound got caught in his throat as she grinned down at him wickedly. "I'd much rather fuck you anyway," Joanna told him mischievously as she leaned down and kissed him before she sank down on top of him and Mycroft growled into the kiss as he gripped her hips, rubbing his thumb over her tattoo. If only the public knew what the British Government got up to behind closed doors.


	14. What The Army Doctor Didn't See

**Okay sweeties. I managed another one so this brings us up to date with TRS. Enjoy the chapter!**

**Joanna's POV**

Joanna Reyer was sitting in her smaller office inside of the Diogenes Club, working on her laptop as she brought up several video surveillance footage's of John Watson. She grinned as she watched him walk through the streets, following his progress. The Diogenes Club was just one of her offices, not that the men of the Diogenes Club liked it much. She had found out about Mycroft's special little club a few weeks after they started dating officially. It was the first time he had gotten to go there and while that was all well and good she had ended up needing him to discuss some matters. Anthea had tried to tell her that it was an all men's club and how it was for members of government and how they demanded complete silence but of course, she didn't care. She had walked right into the Diogenes Club, her heels clacking against their wooden floor boards. The "barmy old codgers" as she liked to call them who all sat around in the front room in silence had looked offended by the fact that a woman had entered their domain and was breaking the silence. One of them repeatedly pressed the button for an attendant and they arrived a moment later. She told them she was looking for Mycroft Holmes and they immediately tried to silence her by putting a hand over her mouth.

**Flashback**

_The attendants reached to grab her elbows and one placed a hand over her mouth before time seemed speed up quickly. She brought her knee up into the chest of one attendant and then spun so that she was pulling the arm of the second attendant behind his back, the one who had tried to silence her. She pushed both men away from her and there was a loud thump as they fell on their knees in front of her, one of them winded and the other rubbing his arm._

_"The name is Lady Liberty boys, get used to it," Joanna said to the men in the room who were watching her with their mouths hanging open in shock as a door at the end of the hall opened. "Now, Mycroft Holmes," She stated again as footsteps came closer to her and she turned around to find Mycroft in front of her. "Good, there you are. We need to chat," Joanna said as she stepped over the attendants and over to him. _

_"You can't be here," He hissed quietly and she raised her eyebrow at him._

_"Wasn't asking for your permission," She told him as she looked up at him and Mycroft sighed before taking her by the hand back to his office. _

_They finally agreed that she could come to the Diogenes Club, none of the other men wanted to cross her or deny her as they all knew who Lady Liberty was, and that she would have her own office as long as she didn't terrorize the other men. Mycroft liked to conduct some of his work here rather than in his other office as he was one of the founding members of the club and thus what he said went. The others didn't like it but Joanna was there to stay, the only female member of the club. She conducted her work there whenever Mycroft did so that they could stay together. Mycroft did like having her close by if not for the fact that she liked to terrorize the other men and break the vow of silence. The attendants learnt after her first day to not mess with her, except to bring her her tea. In some way a compromise was met but a woman had infiltrated their ranks. _

**End Of Flashback**

Joanna was having a fun time stalking John throughout the city. He finally stopped at a cash machine and he looked around nervously as if he was waiting for someone to jump out at him. Well, at least he was being cautious. Now came the fun part. She looked up the number of the cash machine and after a few quick computer keyboard strokes she hacked into it. It was nice to be able to do something like this again. She watched as John put his card in and instead of accepting it she had the cash machine deny his card.

**There is a problem with your card.**

**Please wait.**

It was the standard message and wouldn't raise any red flags yet. Joanna smiled as she flipped to the cash machines' camera and got an up close look of John as he grimaced. Oh Watson… he was so adorable at times. She typed in a new message and it appeared a second later.

**Thank you for your patience…**

That got his attention. Four more letters and then the enter key for dramatic effect.

**John**

John frowned in confusion and Joanna giggled to herself as behind the good army doctor a black car pulled up to the curb and stopped. John turned and looked at it. Joanna typed in one last message just to assure him that it was alright to get in the car. She knew John might be a bit hesitant of black cars after what happened when he thought he was being taken to Mycroft when it was really Irene. John turned back to the cash machine and read the last message under his name.

**The car is from Mycroft in case you are wondering. I checked.-Joanna**

Joanna watched as John sighed in exasperation before he meekly got into the car and allowed himself to be driven off. She watched his progress through the city for nothing else than because she was bored. They didn't have any paperwork to do or any pressing matters to see to which apparently did happen from time to time. She watched from the camera across the street as the car pulled up to the elegant white painted building which had a brass plaque outside declaring the venue to be THE DIOGENES CLUB. John went inside and Joanna turned her laptop off before getting up and taking her coffee cup with her as she carefully slipped out of her office and into the security room a few doors down the hall. She nodded her head at the two attendants who she had assaulted when she first visited the club and they moved to the side in their chairs as she brought up her own chair. They went back to their books or their games as she worked their computer and brought up footage of the main hall. She watched as John entered the large room which, back when the building used to be a house, was probably a drawing room. A large marble fireplace surrounded an unlit fire and the walls had heavy wooden panelling and ornate white plaster coving. The room contained five small round tables, each with a single armchair beside it, and four of them were currently occupied by smartly dressed middle aged or elderly gentlemen reading newspapers and taking no notice of each other or of the new arrival. Well they typically noticed when she turned up. John looked around and then walked over to one of the older men sitting at the far end of the room. Oh this was going to be entertaining, Joanna thought as she smiled in excitement.

"Er, excuse me. Um, I'm looking for Mycroft Holmes," John said and the old man's face took on an appalled expression but he did not look up. Aww…ignoring him wasn't going to make him go away. "Would you happen to know if he's around at all?" John asked the man and some of the other inhabitants of the room behind John looked round at him but didn't speak. "Can you not hear me?" John asked and the old man looked up at him, huffing indignantly and John held out a placatory hand to him. "Yes, all right," John told him and he turned around to the others in the room. "Anyone?" John asked and the others turned their faces away from him. "Anyone at all know where Mycroft Holmes is? I've been asked to meet him here," John said getting really frustrated now and the old man lifted his walking stick and pushed the end of it repeatedly onto a button on the nearby wall and the bell rang in the security room and the two attendants put what they were doing down.

"Go collect him and bring him to Mycroft office please," I told the men and they nodded at me before walking off as I turned back to watching John. The army doctor looked around in confusion while the gentlemen either ignored him or looked at him in annoyance. "No takers? Right," John said as he raised his voice slightly. "Am I invisible? Can you actually see me?" John asked them and Joanna giggled madly as just the two men wearing dress coats walked into the room. John turned to them. "Ah, thanks, gents," He said as behind him, the elderly gentleman flapped his hand frantically at the new arrivals as if to say, 'Get him out of here!' What did he think she was doing? The dress coated men, wearing white gloves and soft white overshoes to muffle their footsteps, walked briskly over to John. "I've been asked to meet Mycroft Holm...," John said and he broke off as the men walked either side of him and firmly seized his arms. "What the ...? Hey!" John asked them in alarm as they almost lifted him off his feet and one of them put his other hand over John's mouth to silence him. His muffled protests continued while they rapidly bundled him out of the room. Joanna stood up again and wiped her hands off. Well, that was taken care of. She had gotten John there. Now they just had part two of their meeting to get though.

**Third Person POV**

Shortly afterwards John had been taken to a smaller room and the door had been closed firmly behind him. Mycroft was in the room with him and poured himself a drink from a crystal decanter as a door opened from the side hall and a smartly dressed Joanna walked inside. She was wearing brown pantsuit trousers and a matching blazer over a white button down blouse and her hair was tied in a bun. She smiled at John and waved at him as Mycroft started to answer John's question about why he had been dragged to this room by two people and why no one was talking. Mycroft flicked a look over at Joanna and she smiled at him slightly without John's notice. He nodded at her, a brief movement of her head that no one could catch and he saw her eyes sparkle brightly. He had told her that she could take the rest of the afternoon off and get some much needed rest as she had been working a lot lately but it appears that she hadn't chosen to listen to him.

"Tradition, John. Our traditions define us," Mycroft told John as he held up his glass. Joanna rolled her eyes at him and made the jabbering gesture with her hand and John bit back a laugh. Mycroft sighed out slightly, not irritated with her but more feeling a sense of fondness towards her.

"So total silence is traditional, is it? You can't even say, "Pass the sugar,"" John asked Mycroft in exasperation as Joanna crossed her arms over her chest and perched herself on the edge of his desk. She had been the one to teach Lexi her bad habits with treating furniture like merely objects. Joanna snorted slightly, not enough for John to notice but Mycroft was used to all of her gestures by now.

"Three-quarters of the diplomatic service and half the government front bench all sharing one tea trolley. It's for the best, believe me," Mycroft told him as he lowered his glass and smiled round at John but then his face became more grim as he walked towards a pair of armchairs in the middle of the room. "They don't want a repeat of 1972. But we can talk in here," Mycroft told him before he looked over at Joanna, frowning at her in displeasure. "I don't recall saying that you had to be here for this meeting," Mycroft told Joanna softly as he saw the tiredness in her eyes and she smiled back at him warmly.

"Honey, I never asked for your permission," Joanna told Mycroft whose frown deepened slightly as he took in her bloodshot eyes and Joanna looked across at John who was eyeing the pair of them tensely. Ah yes, the army doctor. There were some things that he hope wouldn't get back to his brother and his relationship with Joanna was one of them. Joanna was being cautious with her wording. "I go where I like and I am where I currently want to be," Joanna continued before she raised her eyebrow at Mycroft. She meant that she was where she wanted to be because he was there. Mycroft bit back a smile as Joanna looked away from him and over at the army doctor as John walked forward to a small table. When he spotted a newspaper on it he picked up a copy of "The Sun" which was lying on it and brandished it at Mycroft.

"You read this stuff?" John asked Mycroft in disbelief and Joanna snorted in an unladylike manner and rolled her eyes slightly.

"If you would call it reading," Joanna said as she crossed her legs at the knee before she jumped down off of the desk and landed dainty on her feet. She threw a look over at Mycroft and raised her eyebrow questioningly as soon as the army doctor looked away from her. Mycroft didn't like that look. He still hadn't told her what he had done yet and he wasn't sure how to tell her but it had already come out.

"Caught my eye," Mycroft told John, ignoring Joanna's comment for now as the woman started to pace in front of the desk with her arms still crossed over her chest. John hummed in agreement as he sat down in one of the armchairs "Saturday, they're doing a big exposé," Mycroft continued as John read the announcement at the top of the front page.

**"SHERLOCK and LEXI: THE SHOCKING TRUTH: Close Friend Richard Brook Tells All". **

**Exclusive from Kitty Riley**

**Super-sleuths Sherlock Holmes and Alexandria MacKenna have today been exposed as frauds in a revelation that will shock their new found base of adoring fans. Out-of-work actor Richard Brook revealed exclusively to THE SUN that he was hired by Holmes and MacKenna in an elaborate deception to fool the British public into believing Holmes and MacKenna had above-average 'detective skills'. Brook, who has known Holmes and MacKenna separately for decades and until recently considered them to be close friends, said he was at first desperate for the money, but later found he had no….**

"I'd love to know where she got her information," John told Mycroft as Joanna hummed in agreement and cast a look at Mycroft.

"And I thought I knew all of Lexi's close friends," Joanna mused and John looked over at her as she uncrossed her arms and stopped her pacing.

"Someone called Brook. Recognise the name?" Mycroft asked John, trying not to look uncomfortable under Joanna's gaze as he lowered the paper and shook his head.

"School friend, maybe?" John asked Mycroft in confusion. Mycroft laughed in a snide way at which point he heard a movement behind him as John's gaze flicked behind him. Mycroft ignored Joanna as she moved closer to him.

"Of Sherlock's?" Mycroft asked, chuckling again. "And besides, as far as we know Lexi had no friends growing up and there is no way to explain how this Brook even could possible know the both of them," Mycroft continued just before Joanna smack him upside the head. Mycroft turned to her with a murderous gaze and he took a step closer to her so that they were standing toe to toe, Mycroft really having to stoop down to look at the much shorter woman who didn't seem fazed at all. "I have told you to stop that," Mycroft said darkly in a threatening manner but Joanna only smirked back at him and didn't back down.

"And I've told you to stop being rude honey, but we both can't have what we want now can we?" Joanna asked him and Mycroft continued to glare daggers at her as she walked away from him and started pacing again. She had been smacking him constantly whenever she said he was being rude. She had picked it up from Lexi or rather Lexi had picked it up from her in the first place. It was maddening. "Richard Brook is not the reason we asked you here," Joanna said and she continued just before Mycroft interrupted her and she talked right over him. "And it was we who asked you here because if I remember correctly I sent you the invitation," Joanna said as she walked over to a side table and picked up several folders. She then walked over to John and gave him one of the folders. John opened the file and looked at the photograph on the top page.

"Who's that?" John asked the two of them as he looked up at Mycroft and Joanna. Mycroft was still shooting dark looks at Joanna who seemed unfazed by everything that had just happened.

"Don't know him?" Mycroft asked, regaining his calm composure as he stood behind the second armchair, Joanna standing in between the two of them with the rest of the folders in her hands. John could tell that she had put them together for Mycroft as the pictures and information in the file had a highly classified air to them and Mycroft hardly trusted anyone but those he thought he could trust to do this sort of work for him. He had to trust Joanna after all as he didn't have a choice but to. In fact this was the reason Mycroft wanted Joanna to take a break. She had been doing nothing but monitoring these people for him and holding a constant surveillance on Sherlock, Lexi and John to make sure that they were alright that she had hardly stopped to give herself a moment to rest. He would quite like a moment with his own girlfriend that was spent not doing work or babysitting his brother and his brother's fiancée.

"No," John told the both of them. He had never seen this person before.

"Never seen his face before?" Mycroft asked him John looked at the photograph again and let out a hum while he thought about it before Mycroft continued. "He's taken a flat in Baker Street, two doors down from you," Mycroft told him while Joanna pulled a face.

"Hmm! I was thinking of doing a drinks thing for the neighbours," John said and he smiled sarcastically up at Mycroft who looked back at him straight-faced. Joanna giggled before she shook her head.

"Might not be such a good idea John. Death at dinner parties seems to darken the mood," Joanna told him with a smirk and Mycroft sighed and rolled his eyes. Joanna stopped smiling and looked at John more seriously as she nodded to the folder in his hands. "Sulejmani, part of an Albanian hit squad. There's an expertly-trained killer living less than twenty feet from your front door," Joanna told him not looking happy by this fact.

"It's a great location. Jubilee line's handy," John said, still joking as he didn't realize that Joanna had become more serious now too.

"John ..." Mycroft chastised him and John noticed that neither he nor Joanna were messing around anymore.

"What's it got to do with me?" John asked the two of them and Joanna walked over and handed him another one of the files.

"Dyachenko, Ludmila," Joanna told him, pronouncing the name with precision that told John she was probably also a rather good linguist. Mycroft walked around the armchair he was standing behind and gestured for Joanna to sit but she shook her head at him. Mycroft gave her a look and he saw in her eyes that if she sat down she wouldn't be getting up again. She was honestly that tired. Mycroft nodded once at her politely before he sat down opposite John who let out a long tired groan as he opened the file and looked at the photograph inside before frowning a little.

"Um, actually, I think I have seen her," John told the two of them and Joanna hummed slightly in agreement.

"Russian killer. She's taken the flat opposite," Mycroft told John after flicking his gaze up to Joanna.

"Again, someone for hire," Joanna told him as she brought her hand up and rubbed her temples for a second.

"Okay ... I'm sensing a pattern here," John said now sounding a little nervous. Two trained killers were living right near them, that wasn't coincidence that was planned.

"In fact John, four top international assassins relocated to within spitting distance of 221B," Joanna told him as she handed him over the rest of the files. "I've been monitoring them personally and I wouldn't be surprised if Lexi didn't notice something going on. They've been careful to try and avoid her up until this point however so the must know that she's trained," Joanna told him, folding her arms over her chest again now that she had finished.

"Anything you care to share with me?" Mycroft asked John as John looked at the photographs of the other assassins before he chuckled and looked up at Mycroft.

"I'm moving?!" John asked Mycroft who looked back at him unamused before narrowing his eyes.

"I'd like to see that conversation with Sherlock and Lexi. Hey mates! I might be wrong but I think we caught the attention of several assassins. That makes me scared…of the assassins. One thing we could do is pack up and move away from the assassins. How does that sound to…Bang," Joanna said and John and Mycroft both turned and stared at her as she grinned. Mycroft looked slightly amused as he was used to her constant outbursts but John screwed up his face in confusion and exasperation.

"It's not hard to guess the common denominator, is it?" Mycroft asked John, changing the subject and Joanna looked at Mycroft sidelong and the two shared a look. John frowned slightly while watching them because the look almost reminded him of Sherlock and Lexi's quiet conversations.

"You think this is Moriarty?" John asked him as he closed the files and set them down on his lap.

"He promised Sherlock and Lexi he'd come back," Mycroft said and Joanna made a noise in the back of her throat.

"He has been back though and for a while," Joanna said, dropping her arms to her sides and John pointed to her in agreement.

"She's right if this was Moriarty, we'd be dead already," John told Mycroft as he threw a look over at Joanna who nodded her head at him. So she thought the same thing as he did.

"If not Moriarty, then who?" Mycroft asked John before he flicked his gaze up to Joanna, raising her eyebrow at her as if to ask if she had an answer for this question. She narrowed her eyes at him before she looked away.

"Why don't you talk to Sherlock and Lexi if you're so concerned about them?" John asked Mycroft who looked away and toyed with the glass on the table beside him. John rolled his eyes while Joanna shifted uncomfortably on her feet though that might have been because she was wearing heels and refused to sit only because Mycroft had offered her the chair nicely. "Oh God, don't tell me," John said in exasperation, looking away from Mycroft and shaking his head slightly.

"Too much history between us, John. Old scores; resentments and if you haven't noticed Lexi has been a bit more difficult lately when it comes to anything that involves Sherlock," Mycroft said as if hinting to some secret when he mentioned Lexi. Joanna looked at him and raised her eyebrow dangerously as if warning him about something.

"Nicked all his Smurfs? Broke his Action Man?" John asked, ignoring his comment about Lexi and Mycroft glowered at him. John couldn't help but laugh, then he pulled himself together and put the files onto the table beside him. "Finished," He told Mycroft in a whisper before he stood up and turned to leave the room.

"We both know what's coming, John," Mycroft said and John stopped and turned back, struggling to control his anger now. "Moriarty is obsessed. He's sworn to destroy his only rivals," Mycroft continued calmly.

"So you want me to watch out for your brother and Lexi because they won't accept your help," John said tightly and Joanna nodded at him slightly.

"If it's not too much trouble," Mycroft told him and he directed a smile at John but it quickly faded and his expression became more threatening. John held his gaze, then looked away, nodded in a resigned way, and turned to go to the door again. Opening it, John looked back at Mycroft once more, who still had the same look on his face, then left the room. The sound of heels on floorboards followed him and Joanna slipped out of Mycroft's room and followed him. She shook her head at him when John went to ask her why she was following him and held her finger to her lips as she led him out to the front door. As they crossed the hallway in front of the sitting room where the men were still sitting, her heels clicked especially loudly across the floor and the men all looked up at her not only because she was a woman in their entirely male club but also because she was breaking the silence due to her foot wear.

"Oh go back to reading your papers you barmy old codgers," Joanna told them, flapping her hands at them and they all looked at her in appallment or shock as she rolled her eyes and led John to the door as he held back a smirk. Once they were outside Joanna turned to John. "Sorry about him, I still can't teach him any manners," Joanna apologized for Mycroft.

"It looks like you try though," John told her chuckling slightly as she smirked back at him.

"Every day and it is a full time job let me tell you. He's more work than I am. I feel more like a babysitter for the British Government, but someone has to be," She said as a cab pulled up in front of them. "Your cab," Joanna said smirking at John's shocked faced. "I called ahead for one after estimating how long our meeting would take after you arrived and taking into account your temper and how long you could hold out against Mycroft before you got up and left," Joanna told him with a nonchalant shrug.

"I can tell why you and Lexi are friends," John told her as he opened to door to the cab. "It's still scary that you know how to do all that, you do know that right?" John asked her and she smirked back at him and nodded.

"And some of that is just being a woman," Joanna told him with a wink and John shook his head once before he slid into the back of his cab. Joanna shut the door for him and waved him off before she walked back inside. She found Mycroft in his office again and he immediately dropped the file he was looking through and stood up and embraced her as she buried her face in his chest. "Can we go home now?" Joanna mumbled into his chest.

"We can, come on my dear," Mycroft told her as her led the tired woman by the hand. He grabbed her coat and bundled her into it before he took her out to their waiting car.

"Mycroft…," Joanna said as she cuddled up into his side in the car and she looked up at him as Mycroft looked down at her and hummed in acknowledgement. "I love you," Joanna told him, four words that slipped from her lips so easily these days and were often said between each other when they were alone. Mycroft drew Joanna closer to his side and pressed a loving kiss on her forehead before she snuggled into his chest, sighing in contentment when she laid her head over his heart.

"I love you too mon amore," Mycroft told her in return and then she sighed in contentment as she leaned up and pressed her lips to his. They didn't have long before the end, both of them knew that, but they had each other. Mycroft only hoped that Joanna could forgive him once she found out what he had done.


	15. Lazarus

**Hello sweeties. Sorry this is late. Ugh. The Cabin Pressure oneshot took longer than I thought but I will be catching up with this story over the next week. Hope this makes up for it, it is the events of the Reichenbach Fall from Joanna and Mycroft's POV. The next few chapters will be the events of the next 18 months that Sherlock and Lexi are gone before we will catch JoCroft up with season three. ALLONSY!**

* * *

><p>Joanna Reyer looked up from the file she was current looking over, Korean foreign affairs, when a very angry hedgehog in a jumper burst into her office in the Diogenes club, followed closed by Anthea who was protesting loudly about his intrusion. The hedgehog of course was John Watson and from the look on his face he was beyond furious. He stormed up to her desk as she set her file to the side and crossed her knees at her ankles and folded her hands together, raising her eyebrow at the army doctor.<p>

"I'm sorry ma'am he…," Anthea apologized hurriedly and Joanna looked past John who was fuming heavily as he stood in front of her desk and waved off the other woman.

"Anthea it's alright. Go and sit down and breathe for a few minutes," Joanna told her, seeing that the other woman was nearly having a panic attack and Anthea nodded at her before hurrying from the room. Joanna stood up, drawing herself to her full height and actually finding herself glad that she wore heels today. Furious army doctors she could deal with. "John, to what do I owe the pleasure of you storming into the office and scaring my P.A?" Joanna asked him as Anthea was now officially her and Mycroft's combined P.A. John raised his eyebrow at her, sniffing in deeply before he threw down a bunch of files on her desk. Joanna reached down and picked them up, opening the first to find a bunch of papers for an actor named Richard Brook. She immediately dropped the file when she saw Moriarty's face staring up at her.

"So, you knew all about this," John started, his voice a barely contained shout and Joanna looked up at him as she saw that there was also a copy of the article that the reporter Kitty Riley had written about Sherlock and Lexi in the stack of files John had thrown at her. Richard Brook was her source. Moriarty was her source. "You know I didn't understand Lexi at first. She said that Moriarty knew everything about Sherlock's life but not hers. That only you, Sherlock, and I know the most of it, but that whichever way he found out the information, that person knew enough. It took me a bit to figure it out but I got there eventually," John said as Joanna closed her eyes and inhaled deeply understanding it herself. Moriarty knew everything about Sherlock and bits about Lexi. Things he would only know if someone told him and then he went and told Kitty Riley to publish a story to make them both out as frauds. "And you knew did you? All his little meetings with him when they talked it out. When he sold Sherlock and Lexi out," John said shouting at her now and Joanna snapped her eyes open furiously as she realized that John was accusing her of knowing what Mycroft was up to and not stopping him.

"How dare you?!" Joanna shouted at him and John's eyes widened in surprise over her outburst of anger. "I knew nothing about this!" Joanna shouted at him louder, to hell with the vow of silence. "I've been searching for Moriarty for months, tracking down any whisper about him that I could find all in order to help Sherlock and Lexi since the trial. This is the first I've ever heard of this," Joanna told John, feeling her heart clench painfully. Mycroft had lied to her…more than lied to her he had kept this from her. It was…it hurt. It was a betrayal of their trust. A trust that she thought they finally had after two months of dating, sharing intimate details with each other about their lives. She loved him, she had finally opened herself up and let herself love someone and now she was just proven right all over again…caring wasn't an advantage.

"You didn't know about this?" John asked her in shock.

"No," Joanna growled as she pulled her mobile out. "And you're right in thinking it could have only been him," Joanna told John as she quickly typed in a text message, asking Mycroft to meet her in his office because she needed to see him urgently. "I think it's time we had a meeting with Mycroft," Joanna said, her tone dangerous and John flinched slightly as the woman walked around her desk, her heels clacking roughly on the hardwood floors. John had never seen a woman more angry before in his life and he was really glad that he wasn't Mycroft because Joanna looked like she was going to murder him.

**Mycroft's POV**

Mycroft walked across one of the common rooms in the Diogenes Club, where an old man was fast asleep in an armchair, and walked into the smaller private room, reaching for the door handle to close it, but he stopped when he realized that John was sitting in one of the armchairs with his back to him and Joanna was leaning against the small desk in the room with her hands crossed over her chest not sitting on it like she normally would as she was wearing a black skirt and a black and white striped sweater blouse with a pair of high heels. The way she was glaring at him did not bode well for Mycroft and he immediately knew that as he was astutely aware of every look that Joanna would give him by now.

"Come in honey. We need to have a little chat," Joanna told him and her voice sounded rather dangerous. Mycroft met her gaze but did not back down under it. He noticed then that John was looking through a file.

"She has really done her homework, Miss Riley – things that only someone close to Sherlock and Lexi could know. I ran into Joanna on my way to see you and she agrees with me," John said and Mycroft closed the door.

"Ah," He exclaimed lightly as he cautiously gazed at Joanna who raised her eyebrow at him. From John's voice he could tell that he was just as angry as Joanna appeared to be.

"Have you seen your brother's address book lately? Three names, yours, Lexi's, and mine, and Moriarty didn't get this stuff from me. Lexi said only Joanna, Sherlock, and I know the whole story about her. The only one who doesn't but knows enough is you. It wasn't that hard to figure out," John said and Mycroft walked across the room to face him.

"John ..." Mycroft started but the army doctor cut him off.

"So how does it work, then, your relationship? D'you go out for a coffee now and then, eh, you and Jim?" John asked him as Mycroft sat down in the chair opposite and opened his mouth but Joanna interrupted him before he could speak.

"I want to know this too. I'm really interested in what you think is possibly ever acceptable to do what you've done," Joanna said and John and Mycroft turned to look at her as she pushed off of the desk and walked closer to them. Mycroft swallowed thickly, knowing that her calm voice was masking her anger.

"Joanna…," Mycroft pleaded and she shook her head at him, her anger showing over her face in an instant as she dropped her calm outer look.

"Don't you dare Mycroft Holmes," Joanna started as she towered over Mycroft now that he was sitting as she normally would be a lot shorter than him. Mycroft saw the look of hurt in her eyes which was quickly hidden. "I thought…," Joanna said, he voice faltering slightly before she shook her head and looked back at him, her gaze intense. "I thought we were past the point of working against each other, but obviously I was wrong. Now, start talking before I make you and I guarantee that you will not like my methods," Joanna told him, her voice threatening before she gestured to John. "John, continue," Joanna told him and John did, his voice filled with controlled anger.

"Your own brother, and you blabbed about his entire life to this maniac. And Lexi, you told everything you knew about her to a psychopath you knew she was afraid of," John said, as Joanna took the paper from him and read it over.

"I never inten... I never dreamt ...," Mycroft said, shaking his head as he searched for what he could possibly say.

"So this ...th-th-this ...," John said, interrupting again as Joanna handed him back the papers and John looked through them again. "...is what you were trying to tell me, isn't it, "Watch their backs, 'cause I've made a mistake."" John said, slapping the papers down on the table beside his chair and sitting back, clearing his throat as he tried to stay calm. "How did you meet him?" John asked him and Mycroft drew in a long breath before he flicked his gaze up to Joanna who still had her arms crossed in front of his chest and was still glaring down at him. Despite her height, Mycroft was more terrified about her reaction than John's.

"People like him, we know about them; we watch them like we did Lexi and Joanna. But James Moriarty ... the most dangerous criminal mind the world has ever seen, and in his pocket the ultimate weapon, a keycode. A few lines of computer code that could unlock any door," Mycroft told them slowly and Joanna gritted her teeth as she looked down at him.

"And you abducted him to try and find the keycode?" John asked Mycroft who nodded ever so slightly.

"Interrogated him for weeks," Mycroft said, recalling how his men had tried to beat the information out of Moriarty.

"And?" John asked him.

"He wouldn't play along," Mycroft told him as he recalled how Moriarty had slowly turned his head towards the front after the blow and stared up at his interrogator, who struck him again. "He just sat there, staring into the darkness," Mycroft told them as he recalled how Moriarty was unfazed by the assault. "The only thing that made him open up ...," Mycroft told them as he ruefully gestured to himself. "I could get him to talk ... just a little, but ...," Mycroft said, trailing off and John grimly finished the sentence for him.

"...in return you had to offer him Sherlock and Lexi's life stories. So one big lie – Sherlock and Lexi are frauds – but people will swallow it because the rest of it's true," John said and he leaned forward, humming slightly as he raised his finger to his lips for a second. "Moriarty wanted Sherlock and Lexi destroyed, right? And you have given him the perfect ammunition," John said, smiling bitterly at him. Mycroft lowered his eyes as Joanna lowered her arms to her sides, drawing their attention to her.

"You never asked for my help, not once. You knew I would have given it to you," Joanna told him and Mycroft was the only one to know that she sounded hurt as she met his gaze. "And why was I not informed of any of this. Anything that lands on your desk or that you get given goes directly to me and that is not negotiable," Joanna told him angrily. "What you did was inexcusable. Lexi is terrified of Moriarty and you knew that. He will destroy them in fact he's already started to," Joanna said and John pulled in a sharp breath and then got to his feet, turning towards the door.

"John ...," Mycroft said, turning to the army doctor and John turned back to him. "I'm sorry," Mycroft told him softly, pleading with him and with Joanna. He didn't have a choice. He had done what he thought was best, what he had to do.

"Oh, please ...," John said tightly and he shook his head in disbelief and turned away, laughing humourlessly as he walked to the door.

"Tell them, would you?" Mycroft called after him as John opened the door and walked away, leaving the door open behind him. Joanna moved and Mycroft looked up at her as she turned away from him. "Joanna, please…," Mycroft asked her and she turned around her eyes filled with tears.

"One word. One word, that's all you needed to ask me and I would have helped you. I thought that we trusted each other after everything that happened between us. How, how could you keep something like this from me?" Joanna asked him as she turned back to him hugging herself tightly as tears slid down her checks.

"I needed to protect you," Mycroft told her, getting to his feet. "James Moriarty also knew of you. He mentioned a Lady Liberty when we had him in custody. I've seen how he reacted to Alexandria. I could not allow him to get that close to you. I care for you too much," Mycroft told her as he reached out cautiously to her and felt very grateful as she allowed him to put a hand on her shoulder before he reached up and put his hand on her cheek. She turned into his touch which was always a good sign. In truth, he and Joanna were no longer fighting all the time and they actually had quite a loving and often physical relationship now. "Please know that I never dreamt for this to happen. That I didn't… Joanna I love you…," Mycroft said trailing off as Joanna moved towards him and pulled him into a hug. Mycroft slipped his arms around her waist and held her tightly to him, feeling comfort in her entire warm body pressing up against him in an intimate way.

"I know mon amore. We'll figure something out. We'll fix this, but together. No more secrets between us though. I love you too. I'm not completely happy with you and this doesn't mean you are forgiven but we'll figure this out together," Joanna told him as she pulled back and Mycroft nodded at her. She reached up and touched his face, rubbing along his jawline with her thumb. "I love you and that won't change no matter how many mistakes we both make. I might be a bit short with you and cross and it will come out sometimes, but I'm not leaving you over this," Joanna told him before she pulled him down and pressed a swift kiss to his lips. "Don't worry amante. We'll… we'll figure out something to fix this," Joanna assured him and Mycroft nodded again before he and Joanna immersed themselves in trying to find a solution to their new problem, the way they always did now, together. Lexi had brought Joanna to Mycroft and for that he would always be grateful, she was so much different than any woman he ever expected to marry or fall in love with, but she was exactly what he needed. She was his and by some miracle, she had chosen him, just…no one knew about it yet. He could figure this out as long as he had her by his side and someday he might just make her his.

**Joanna's POV**

I was still cross at Mycroft and I would probably remain so for a while which would mean that he would be sleeping on the couch for a good long time, but I could tell that he really did regret what he had done and he really did think that keeping me from Moriarty had been for the best. Of course keeping me from Moriarty meant he had to tell him about Sherlock and Lexi. In all honesty the only way I might have gotten Moriarty to talk was if I told him about myself which was dangerous. I flicked my gaze over to the pen drive that was hidden under a few papers on my desk as my fingers typed rapidly over my keyboard as I tried to figure out a way of destroying Richard Brook. The problem I was having was that he was good, too good. Richard Brook had been around too long for me to destroy him. Moriarty had been working on this separate identity for the over eighteen months, before Sherlock and Lexi even met each other. He had been planning this moment for a very long time. That's why it was so elaborate and so well thought out. Their fall from grace, his destroying them, the pool, the Great Game had all been a distraction for him. This was the Final Solution, the Final Problem. My gaze flicked back over to the pen drive and I reached out and picked it up, pausing in my typing as I twirled it between my fingers. H.N.E.D. Now wasn't the time to worry about this but it also felt like the time too. Lady Liberty, Moriarty knew that much. What else could the consulting criminal have found? That's what always worried me about this life, what people might be able to find, what they would think of what they would find. I jumped slightly when Mycroft walked into my office, carrying his laptop with him. He looked up at me sheepishly, still testing the waters slightly. I knew what I had to do… I just didn't know how he was going to react and that scared me.

"Mycroft, honey can you come here for a moment?" I asked Mycroft and he raised his eyebrow at me and furrowed his brow a bit in concern as he crossed my office over to me and set his laptop down on the edge of my desk.

"Joanna, what is it?" He asked me worriedly as I got up from behind my desk and walked around it to join him. I stood facing him and looked up at him before I reached down and took his hand in mine, sliding the pen drive into his hand as I did so before I brought his hand up to my mouth and kissed his fingers and then released his hand.

"What's this?" Mycroft asked me in confusion as he opened his hand and looked down at the pen drive, turning it over in his fingers and exposing the initials that were written on the back of it, faded highly with time.

"Me," I told him simply and I looked away from him as I sighed slightly. "On that pen drive is everything I've ever done. It's who I am and who I was before I became Joanna Noel Reyer. I think you deserve to know that much. You've given me something I thought I would never have My and I want you to know everything about me before we get too far into this…into us. I don't want there to be secrets between us or lies and well I think you deserve to know what my actual name is. If you are going to trust me to help Sherlock, to help Lexi…if we are going to try and bring down James Moriarty and his criminal network, I need to know that you trust me and I trust you completely. In a way I never thought I could ever trust another person so…I'm giving this to you to do with what you will. It's me. I'm giving you me…all of me," I told Mycroft as I looked back over at him to find him looking down at me with an intense gaze.

"Joanna," Mycroft started and I cut him off with a small smile.

"Hanna," I told him and his eyes widen in surprise.

"Excuse me?" Mycroft asked me and I smiled at him softly and took a deep breath before pushing through.

"My name is Hanna," I told him and his eyes widened more. "Desmond chose it. The full thing is Hanna Nicolette Eliza Dubois. Liam liked Nicolette and Theo liked Elizabeth but that wouldn't fit on my birth certificate so…," I said as I looked down and Mycroft put his hand under my chin and lifted it up to me his eyes.

"Joanna...Hanna," Mycroft added after I blinked up at him. "I trust you even without this. I don't need to know what you have done in your past. Your past is not who you are now. I'd like to think that my pat is not the person I am now either. What I know is that I love you for the person you are today. The woman I see right her, right now in front of me is the most beautiful creature in the world because she has given me something I never hoped to receive. What you have done in your past is your business," Mycroft told me as he pressed the pen drive back into my hand. "And I hope, if it sounds agreeable to you, that what you do in the future might be my business and my privilege?" Mycroft asked me with an endearing look.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," I said tearfully, not even realizing that I was crying as I flung Myself into Mycroft's arms and he caught me around my waist and cradled me tightly to his chest as I nuzzled my face into his waist coat and then pulled back slightly and tilted my head up just as he looked down, crashing his lips with mine. He made a pleasant sound in the back of his throat as I nibbled on his bottom lip and he granted me entrance into his mouth. Our tongues tangled together as he walked us backward until my legs hit the edge of my desk. He lifted me up by my waist and he sat me on the edge of it before positioning himself between my legs, eliciting a few sounds from me. I ran my fingers through his hair as he ran his hands up and down my sides. We snogged heatedly for several more seconds bore the need for air became apparent and we broke apart, breathing heavily. Mycroft rested his forehead against mine and I nuzzled him, humming contentedly. Our blissful moment was unfortunately interrupted by my phone thrilling a text alert. I groaned and reached over to grab my phone which was on the desk behind me and unlocked it. I immediately froze when I read the message, not liking it at all or what it meant.

"Joanna? Darling what's wrong?" Mycroft asked me in concern and I looked up at him frowning worriedly.

"Lexi just texted me and asked me to call John in an hour and give him an excuse to leave them at Bart's. To be anywhere in the city but there," I told Mycroft and he furrowed his brows at me.

"Why would she…?" He asked me and I cut him off before he could finish his question.

"To protect him. Lexi and I will always protect the people we love. She would never send him away unless…," I said before I snapped my head up and looked at Mycroft, feeling sick to my stomach. "They're going to meet him and they don't want John there," I said in realization, knowing that Mycroft would know I meant Moriarty when I said him.

"Why would they do something as idiotic as that?" Mycroft asked me in confusion as he backed up a few steps so I could jump off my desk.

"Because they have to My," This is it. Lexi told me that he called it their Final Problem. This is it. There is no getting out of it. He's accounted for every possibility. He wants to burn the, but now he wants them dead. He's made it so they'll look like frauds with the information you gave him," I said and Mycroft winced and grimaced slightly. "They'll be utterly destroyed. They're reputations in shambles and nothing we or anyone else says can change that, not to mention they're wanted on kidnapping charges. Neither of us can get them off of them this time round without causing world war three and he knows that. It's as bad as if they killed someone. We can't do anything, they'll be in disgrace…he's already won and we can't do a single fucking thing to stop him. The world thinks there is no James Moriarty. They all think he is Richard Brook, an invention Sherlock and Lexi made to make themselves seem more impressive. Moriarty means for them to complete his story," O said as I figured it out, not needing to be a consulting detective to do so. I love Mycroft, the smartest man in all of England in my opinion. I learnt through observation. It was only a matter of time that I learnt how to make deductions as well, only I had my own methods of doing so.

"In what way?" Mycroft asked me and I turned back round to look at him.

"He wants them to kill themselves. Suicide. If I made you out to be a fraud, utterly destroyed you, the only thing that would make my story more believable would be if you killed yourself," I answered him.

"But you can't persuade someone to take their own lives, especially not Sherlock and Lexi," Mycroft said and I shook my head at him in disagreement.

"Especially Sherlock and Lexi," I told him as I nodded bitterly. "Threaten the people they care about and they'll do anything. Moriarty already knows that. It's why they want John out of the way, so he doesn't get hurt," I told Mycroft and he frowned at me deeply.

"How will you get the doctor to leave them? At a time like this he would hardly leave their sides. He is loyal, dangerously so, but that is what has always made him so good for them."

"John Watson would only leave them for one reason. As you said, he's loyal. They need that though, it grounds them," I said and Mycroft nodded at me in agreement before humming questioningly.

"And what would send John Watson running?" He asked me and I sighed heavily.

"If something ever happened to Mrs. Hudson," I told him and he regarded me for a long moment before nodding at me. I didn't like it but it had to be done. I waited out the rest of the hour before making the call, sending out a silent prayer that it would work and John would buy it. John answered his mobile and I adopted a Central London accent as I spoke.

"Hello, is this Dr. John Watson?" I asked as Mycroft watched me and I paced the length of my office nervously.

"Yeah, speaking?" John asked me and I looked up at Mycroft and took a deep breath.

"My name is Nichole Arlington from Emergency Services. I'm calling you because you are listed under the emergency contact information for a Martha Hudson of 221A Baker Street," I lied before holding my breath as I waited to see if John would take the bait and after only a second he did.

"What happened? Is she okay?" John asked me quickly, concern lacing his tone.

"I'm sorry to inform you that she's been shot. Two men broke into Baker Street and shot her twice in the chest. I won't lie, it doesn't look like she is going to make it. She could really use someone that she knows here with her in case…," I said, trialing off as John cut me off.

"Oh my God. Right, yes. I'm coming," John informed me before he hung up and I breathed out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"Did it work?" Mycroft asked me as I turned round to look at him and I nodded at him.

"He's on his way to Baker Street now. Now all we have to do is wait. The Ghost protocols have been activated already. Knowing Sherlock and Lexi they have some plan in mind," I told Mycroft and he nodded at me in agreement before I crossed over to him and let him hold me close to him for comfort.

We didn't have to wait long before the messages came through to both of our phones. Lazarus. The worst of all the scenarios we had accounted for. Sherlock and Lexi needed to fake their own deaths in order to survive. We moved quickly, mobilizing Sherlock and Lexi's Homeless Network. That was when I noticed a sniper in the windows in the building across the way from our office in the Diogenes club who was pointing his gun directly at Mycroft. I directed Mycroft to act like he had dropped something and bend down behind the desk and to not ask me any questions as I reached under my desk and grabbed the gun I had tapped under it. As soon as Mycroft was out of the line of fire I quickly twisted around and fired once with accurate and deadly precision, shooting right through the glass of the window which shattered. Mycroft quickly shot up as I stood there, watching the man slump over in the other window and I lowered my gun before looking back at Mycroft as it seemed to dawn on him that I had just saved his life. I brought my kill count up to two. I told Mycroft I would always protect the people I loved before I had Mycroft hide in the hall way and went to go and make sure the rest of the building was secure. When I knew that it was we got another message in from Lexi that there were snipers in play. I thanked her for that vital bit of information and managed to locate the one on John and invited him to reconsider before finding the ones on Lestrade and Mrs. Hudson and taking care of them. I then quickly worked with Mycroft to mobilize Liz and Molly and everyone moved into place as I relayed the information to everyone through earpieces and coordinated the complex scenario we had come up with that I had come to call the Reichenbach Fall. In the end only thirty one people would ever know the truth of how it was done, twenty five members of the Homeless Network, Liz, Molly, Mycroft, myself, Sherlock, and Lexi. Mycroft and I watched John's reactions over CCTV camera as I myself moved onto the scene. Sherlock and Lexi called him from the roof and had their last conversation with him before their actually Fall and then it was a lot of quick movements to get them inside the hospital and then whisk them out through a back entrance. They were secreted over to the Diogenes club which was cleared out to only have us in it and so began the start of their undercover mission as John began to grave the loss of his two best friends. Mycroft held me tightly as we laid in our bed that night, Sherlock and Lexi sleeping in our guest room just across the hall where they would be laying low until they left London after their funerals in the next few days and began dismantling Moriarty's web. Molly would be hiding them tomorrow but tonight, just for tonight, Mycroft and Sherlock would be brothers and as always Lexi and I would be sisters.

The day after the Fall in the Diogenes Club, Mycroft was sitting in one of the chairs in the common room, and I sat on the floor at his feet, my back resting up against his legs as I hugged my own legs to my chest. Mycroft held a copy of "The Sun" in his hands and its headline screamed "SUICIDE OF FAKE GENIUSES" and the straplines stated "SUPER-SLEUTHS ARE DEAD" and "Fraudulent detectives take their own lives". Folding the paper and putting it down on the table beside him, he stared blankly into the distance and then folded his hands in front of his face in the prayer position. I looked back at him before standing and reaching for his hands. I looked down at him and took them into my own before he allowed me to pull him to standing. I pulled him back to our office, the window having yet to been fixed, and I shut the door before wrapping my arms around his waist and hugging him tightly. Mycroft sighed heavily and stroked my hair allowing himself to let me comfort him. The Fall had come and we had been powerless to stop it. Sherlock and Lexi would be leaving London. We once thought that London would Fall if Sherlock and Lexi ran around the city…now London would be far too quite without its great detectives.


	16. Meeting Mummy

Mycroft Holmes was terrified. More terrified than when he was faced with trying to figure out how to save his brother and Lexi from a psychopath, more terrified than when he found out that his brother had nearly overdosed, more terrified than when he discovered that a woman had broken into Buckingham Palace right under his nose, and more terrified than the day he became a big brother. He was terrified due to the sole reason that his parents had come to London to meet Joanna. His mother had insisted upon meeting her once she got wind of the fact that they were together and there was absolutely no way of getting out of it. It wasn't that Mycroft was ashamed of Joanna or didn't want her to meet his parents because he was embarrassed of her. It was in fact the other way around. He was embarrassed about his parents and he knew how his mother could be with her questions. Joanna didn't need to be given the third degree. Especially since she didn't really like answering questions about herself. For that reason Mycroft held the fact that she had confided in him and trusted him with her real name and story of her past as the highest honour.

Joanna, Hanna, as he called her only when it was the two of them which he found was something she quite enjoyed, was truly the love of his life. She shared everything with him and their intimate moments happened to be his favourite as it was the time he truly got to be himself. He had discovered, quite by accident really when he had called out Hanna during one of their more intimate activities that with just a few simple words whispered into her ear he could get her into his bed and sometimes a bed really wasn't needed and it was instead the desk in his office. Joanna was a very passionate woman and extremely tender and loving towards him. She was a remarkable woman and Mycroft could never imagine what he had done to deserve someone like her. It had been three months since Sherlock and Lexi had left London and they had kept in contact with them when they could while also keeping up on their own work. Joanna always kept him grounded, kept him from losing his head when the work started piling on or he started worrying about his brother and Alexandria. He couldn't imagine what he would ever do without Joanna by his side or how he could have ever made it through all of this without her, his angel.

"Mycroft?" Joanna suddenly called as she walked out of the bedroom she shared with the British Government, drawing him out of his thoughts and Mycroft looked up from the book he was reading, nearly dropping it when he saw her attire. She was wearing his dress shirt. Only his dress shirt and it was mostly unbuttoned. "Have you seen my heels? The black ones?" She asked him as she looked around the living room as she had the habit of throwing them everywhere once they got home, mostly because other activities tended to happen as soon as they got inside the door and they often found articles of clothing all about the living room and even in the kitchen or down the hall.

"No, I don't believe I have," Mycroft told her calmly while on some level it registered with him that she looked rather good in his clothes.

"Crap. We have to meet your parents for dinner in an hour and I can't find them," Joanna swore and Mycroft grimaced at her as she reminded him of the thing he was trying to distract himself from with his book.

"Do we have to?" Mycroft grumbled and Joanna fixed him with a glare which, despite her height was rather terrifying.

"You were the one who told them that Sherlock and Lexi were alive. That was when they found out that the two of us are dating," Joanna told him as she came and sat next to him, stealing his book away. "They want to see you and they want to meet me now. I am freaking out but you don't see me complaining or moaning about it so grow a bloody pair," Joanna told him crossly as she rubbed her forehead, probably getting a headache like he was and he almost smile at the fact that her accent had gone more British and she had used more British swear words. She leaned over and kissed his cheek however before standing up and handing him back his book as Mycroft stared up at her.

"I have a pair thank you," Mycroft told her coolly as he opened his book again and then smiled when he say that Joanna had dog eared his page for him before she had closed his book on him. She was never mean anymore, at least not towards him. Demanding, forceful, and irritating at times, yes but they were all personality traits he had come to understand and even find endearing and she understood all of his odd quirks and had come to live with them.

"And don't I know it," Joanna said, winking at him suggestively as she looked him up and down and Mycroft cleared his throat awkwardly as they certainly didn't have time for that now. "So, do you want to help me find these heels?" Joanna asked him and Mycroft sighed heavily.

"When have you ever wanted to wear heels?" Mycroft asked her curiously and Joanna sighed slightly before she walked around the couch and wrapped her arms around his neck, bending down to press a kiss to where his neck and shoulder met and making him shiver.

"When I don't want your parents to known that I am having sex with their son on a regular basis," Joanna told him with a grin before she kissed his flaming cheek. "I'm going for classy, not trashy," Joanna told him, kissing him one last time, this time pecking him on his lips before she returned to their room, swishing her hips seductively as she went to finish getting ready. Mycroft got up a few minutes later and walked into their bedroom. Joanna was now dressed in a classy black dress and her hair was done up in an elegant bun. Mycroft leaned up against the door frame as she put her earrings on and she looked over her shoulder at him and smiled slyly as she raised her eyebrow at him. "Like something you see?" Joanna asked him and Mycroft remained quiet as she walked into their bathroom. "Is something wrong honey?" She asked him in concern as she walked out of their bathroom with a frown on her face.

"No," Mycroft told her, shaking her head as she walked over to him, her large blue eyes looking up at him. "Nothing is wrong," Mycroft assured her and Joanna wrapped her arms around his waist tightly and put her head onto his chest. Mycroft brought his hand up and rubbed her cheek, brushing his thumb lightly over her light pink lips.

"What then?" Joanna asked him as she reached up and stroked his cheek affectionately as Mycroft held onto her, rubbing his thumbs lightly over her hip bones.

"Simply admiring the view," Mycroft murmured and she giggled before pulling him down for a kiss and it was something he never minded stooping for.

"Well, I do hear that it is rather nice," Joanna told him with a smirk, bumping his hip slightly with her own. Mycroft smiled slightly as she walked away from him and bent over, looking under their bed and affording him a rather nice view of something else. "Ah ha! Found the little buggers,' Joanna cried triumphantly as she straightened up and held up her heels. She went back to getting ready while Mycroft watched her, wondering how he got to be so lucky as to have met someone like Joanna. She was completely his opposite but somehow she completed him. "Now off to meet your parent's and no whining," Joanna told him as she pointed at him warningly. "I've not had nearly enough alcohol for that which means zilch," She told him and she smacked him playfully in the arm with her hand bag.

"I'm more worried about my parents," Mycroft told her as he followed her over to the door as she found her mobile which and checked it.

"Lovely," Joanna said as she turned and showed him her mobile screen. "The kids just left the Himalayas. I wonder if they saw a Yeti," Joanna mused and Mycroft nodded at her with a small smirk, though he felt relieved to know that Sherlock and Lexi had gotten hold of a phone and had contacted them. Any bit of communication told them they were still alive. "Ready?" Joanna asked him and Mycroft walked over to the door and offered her his arm. She took it and they headed out together, Mycroft walking like a man headed for the gallows. He was wrong. He was more worried about himself. What was he thinking in letting Joanna in the same room as his parents?

When they walked into the restaurant Joanna was nearly bouncing at his side and Mycroft looked over at her to find her nervously fussing with her hands. He slid his hand down her arm and grasped her smaller, daintier hand in his own and she jumped slightly before she looked up at him and relaxed into his touch. She nodded up at him and Mycroft scanned the restaurant before his eyes landed on his parents who had apparently arrived before they had. He had chosen a nice upscale French restaurant in the middle of the city. It was one that he and Joanna both enjoyed and he thought that familiarity might set Joanna at ease. He took a deep breath before leading her over to his parent's table. His mother smiled as soon as her eyes landed on him and he held back a groan as his parents stood up. Mycroft got on well enough with his father if he was a bit tottery at times. Sherlock and his father always got on better, Mycroft was far too much like his mother.

"Mike!" Mummy said and Mycroft sighed loudly in exasperation as his mother once again used the childish nickname he had told her countless times before not to call him. Mycroft, unlike Sherlock, actually liked his full name. Joanna had even told him that she had been joking with him when she had said his mother must have hated him for naming him Mycroft. She actually liked it as it was unique and strong. Of course Mycroft refused to tell her his second first name. He had no clue what his mother was thinking when it came to that or his middle name. Mycroft never minded when Joanna endearingly called him Myc or My though of course that was because it was Joanna though.

"It is Mycroft mother as I keep trying to remind you," Mycroft told his mother only to be ignored as she already sprung upon Joanna which he knew she would do. His mother could be very judgmental, especially over women that came close to them. She had liked Lexi because they had spoken several times before but Mycroft had told her nothing about Joanna and had tried to keep their relationship private.

"And you must be Joanna," Mummy said as she looked Joanna over with a critical eye and Mycroft instantly realized why it was that Joanna had dressed up so much. She was nervous, exceedingly so and despite the bright smile on her face he could deduce that she was a bundle of nerves underneath. He had found that it became easier to deduce her the more he studied her, especially in those moments that they laid together in bed just the two of them on the brink of sleep or just waking up.

"I am. Last time I checked anyway," Joanna said with a bright laugh. "Hello. It's nice to finally meet you. I thought Mycroft was never going to introduce us," Joanna said as she shot a side long glance at Mycroft with a sly smile on her face and Mycroft cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"Yes well…," Mycroft tried before his mother spoke over him.

"We almost didn't even know about you. Lexi did mention a Joanna before. Oh ages ago, wasn't it father?... But Mike hasn't said anything about you," Mummy said and Mycroft closed his eyes at how tactless his mother was being.

"No and Mycroft would. He really doesn't like speaking about anyone if he can help it," Joanna said, putting emphasis on his name which he noticed as she looked up at him and leaned her head on his arm and smiled up at him. "Though I am very pleased to meet you," Joanna said and Mycroft was amazed with how she was able to keep such a cool attitude.

"And you as well my dear," Mycroft's father said as he gave Joanna a one armed hug as Mycroft had yet to let her go and Mycroft sighed slightly in relief that at least one of his parents seemed to have accepted her. "Shall we sit again?" He asked and Mycroft nodded as he watched his mother still pursing her lips as she studied Joanna.

Mycroft pulled a chair out for Joanna across from his father, thinking it would be best for her to sit across from him rather than across from his mother. She sat and smiled up at him mouthing I love you to him and he smiled slightly before he sat down next to her. A waiter came by and Mycroft immediately ordered a glass of wine for himself and Joanna, ignoring the looks his mother sent him for this. He would need wine and lots of it if he was going to survive this night. They started looking over their menus and Joanna turned to him and smiled slightly and he saw her nod her head as she looked down at the first menu item. He smirked slightly and shook his head at her, rolling her eyes. The last time they were here she had made him order escargot as, for being the poshest man in all of Great Britain as she called him, he had never tried the French delicacy before. It was utterly disgusting but he had watched as Joanna had eaten it as if it was the most delicious thing in the world. He had refused to kiss her again until they had returned home and they had both brushed their teeth. His mother watched them critically as they shared their small moment but his father smiled knowingly as Joanna ignored his mother's intense gaze.

"So, Joanna," His mother started and Mycroft just managed to hold back a groan as his mother started asking questions. "What do you do for a living?" His mother asked her and Joanna looked up from her menu, raising her eyebrow slightly as her eyes widened a bit.

"Well, I work with Mycroft. I guess I'm an…," Joanna said uncomfortably as she searched around for the right thing to tell his mother. She couldn't exactly tell her that she was an intelligence agent, assassin, and government consultant.

"Joanna is a computer genius and a mathematician. She works with me to break and make codes," Mycroft told his mother whose eyes widened in interest as he mentioned the fact that she was a mathematician. His mother had been one as well and Joanna did have a degree in mathematics. His description of her work was as accurate as possible for what she had did.

"You are a mathematician?" Mummy asked her and Joanna nodded at her with bright smile on her face as Mycroft slipped his hand into hers underneath the table.

"Yes one of my degrees is in mathematics. The rest are in computer science or engineering," Joanna told his mother who seemed instantly more interested and less cynical of her.

"You are a code breaker then?" Papa Holmes asked her and Joanna nodded at him as they set down their menus.

"Ah yes. More like a glorified hacker but code breaker does sound like a better job title for what I do. It's mostly helping Mycroft with his paperwork and tedious meetings with government officials, but I do…work to make and break various codes," Joanna said and Mycroft could tell that she really wasn't comfortable talking about herself.

"Such an intelligent young woman. Your parents should be so proud," Mummy Holmes said and Mycroft froze as Joanna inhaled sharply and her smile fell slightly before she plastered it back on.

"Well I'm sure they would have been," Joanna said before Mycroft heard what she quietly added, something only he could hear. "If my mother actually wanted me or my father actually cared." His father realized what she had originally said and what it meant but his mother did not.

"We'll have to all get together sometime. It was ever so dreadful that we couldn't meet Lexi's parents," Mummy said and Mycroft narrowed his eyes at his mother, praying she would shut up as he saw Joanna close her eyes beside him and he was surprised when his father stepped in.

"My dear I don't think that will be possible," Papa Holmes told his wife and she looked over at him before finally seeming to notice what Joanna had said.

"Oh dear. I am so sorry. You should have stopped me," His mother apologized to Joanna but the damage was already done.

"It's quite alright. You weren't to know," Joanna waved her off before taking a deep breath and Mycroft squeezed her hand, rubbing her knuckles comfortingly. "I only had a father and he died when I was still a girl and my three brothers raised me but one died in war and the other two were murdered," Joanna said and Mycroft thought it oddly fitting that she would say Liam was murdered by the drugs. "I think they would have been proud though yes," Joanna said as she smiled and then she looked over at Mycroft. "And if anything I have My to be my own personal cheering team for my achievements," Joanna said with a bright laugh as she looked up at him with an endearing look and his mother seemed to finally realize the two of them really were in love. "And he does look rather nice in a suit," Joanna said and Mycroft cleared his throat uncomfortably as his mother and father laughed at her joke.

"I still don't see why you care about my suits," Mycroft told her, bantering with her which he knew would set her at ease.

"The Ministry of Posh Suits still wants to inform you that you can wear normal clothes every now and again. I think you would look rather lovely in a pair of jeans. Possibly a sweater," Joanna said with a shrug and Mycroft rolled his eyes at her and their reoccurring argument over his state of dress.

"I never can convince him to wear anything differently dear," Mummy said and Joanna nodded at her in agreement.

"It's a personal challenge I've set myself," Joanna told Mummy with a sly look at Mycroft and Papa Holmes smirked at her. "I will win you know. I always do," Joanna told Mycroft as she turned to look at him.

"Oh do you?" He asked her, raising his eyebrow at her and she grinned at him in a cat ate the canary sort of way with her tongue in between her teeth.

"Well I did break Sherlock and Lexi into Baskerville, reduce Russia to my plaything, and currently I am toying with Belgaum. You should know by now not to mess with me honey," Joanna told him and his father laughed brightly.

"I would watch out for her Mycroft. I think you've met your match," Papa Holmes said and Mycroft hummed in agreement as Joanna grinned at the both of them.

"Well, someone has to keep him in line. Lexi and I already are comparing notes and sharing what we've found works," Joanna told Mummy who smiled at her.

"You sound like you and Lexi are close," Mummy said and Joanna nodded at her brightly.

"She's like a younger sister to me," Joanna told her before she looked over at Mycroft. "Actually I met her first so don't listen to Mycroft. I met her when she was sixteen in Dublin. Still in Uni then and then I helped her start her consulting business there a few years later," Joanna said and Mycroft saw as his mother looked at her that she had accepted Joanna now. She sent him a look and nodded before she gestured her head at Joanna and Mycroft smiled slightly as he rubbed his hand over her knuckles again. The waiter returned with their wine and they all ordered and the rest of the night went better than Mycroft originally thought when they had walked in. He still needed wine when his mother started asking him more questions about his relationship with Joanna…the both of them steered clear of fully answering any of those, but she no longer asked questions of Joanna that border lined on insulting. Joanna also relaxed greatly, especially after her second glass of wine and she was her laughing, smiling, and always beautiful self again, leaning her head on his shoulder at points as she spoke to his parents who shot him knowing looks. At the end of the night as they walked out of the restaurant, Papa Holmes stood at the edge of the curbing with her, letting him have a moment alone with his mother who once again apologized to him for not knowing what she had said earlier and he waved her off.

"I like her," His mother told him as they looked over to where she was laughing with Papa Holmes over something one of them had just said. "And you, Mycroft Barnabus Archibald Holmes," She said as she poked him in the chest. "Don't you dare mess this up. She is the best thing that has ever happened to you and…," His mother continued before Mycroft cut her off.

"I know," He said as he looked over at Joanna and again just as she looked back at him and she waved at him and smiled brightly and Mycroft smiled back at her softly. "I think I might want to marry her," Mycroft told his mother whose face brightened into a wide smile.

"Well…ask her before she gets the wrong impression," His mother told him with a firm nod. "Now give me a kiss," She ordered him and Mycroft stooped and kissed his mother's cheek, obeying her like a dutiful son. They walked over to Papa Holmes and Joanna and Mycroft hailed a cab for his parents. Joanna gave them both tight hugs and his mother gave him a pointed look and gestured to Joanna and Mycroft nodded at his mother. Joanna leaned her head against his shoulder and looked up at him, smiling.

"Well…that was interesting," Joanna told him and Mycroft nodded in agreement. "I like your dad," She told him with a bright smile. "He's really nice. Your mother too. She takes some getting used to but…so do I and so do you," Joanna said just as their car pulled up in front of them.

"I knew that it was a bad idea to introduce you to them," Mycroft groaned and he opened the door for Joanna and she laughed brightly before pulling him down by his tie to kiss him deeply and Mycroft made a pleasant noise in the back of his throat. As they broke apart from the kiss Joanna bit her lip and then brushed his suit down, fixing it.

"Let's go home mon amore," Joanna said as she slid into the back of the car and Mycroft smirked and slid in next to her, shutting the door and the car pulled away.

"Irez-vous au lit avec moi ce soir?" Mycroft whispered into her ear. [Will you go to bed with me tonight?]

"Did you even have to ask?" Joanna asked him before she pulled him in for another kiss and Mycroft chuckled slightly as he pulled her into his arms. Yes, Mycroft knew that he wanted to marry Joanna…he just had to figure out when and how to ask her to be his.


	17. All I Want For Christmas Is You

**Hello sweeties. Moving along. This one is a bit shorter but a few more chapters tomorrow that I will be working on. Allonsy!**

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><p>Joanna could deal with things. Quite many, actually. Assassins? No problem. Angry government officials? PLEASE, she could take them down with a hand tied behind her back...and maybe a foot too. She was Lady Liberty, the woman with the power, the person who had practically every country in the world begging for her assistance and she knew how to handle herself in practically any type of situation. She could kill a man in a variety of interesting and painful ways with objects as simple as a paperclip or toothpick but her bare hands always worked well too. But playing Jingle Bells on the piano? Kill her now.<p>

It was Christmas time, the first Christmas she would be spending with Mycroft and the first Christmas that Sherlock and Lexi would not be with them in London. Joanna was very much in the Christmas spirit and it was just one of those days when she felt like being artsy and festive. She normally didn't like Christmas, but that was only because she spent every Christmas alone with a carton of eggnog and a bottle of rum. This year was going to be different though. This year she had Mycroft. She just wanted to play something, something festive but not even " We Wish You A Merry Christmas" was coming out with any clarity from the ivory keys. Did her brain know she was utterly rubbish? Yes. Did that stop her? No, not in the least bit. Did the piano sound like an utter train wreck in a box? Yeah, that pretty much summed it up and she did have a rather well trained ear. Joanna groaned for the umpteenth time since she sat down on the blasted bench.

It was a beautiful instrument that Mycroft would often play when they were having a night in and she was making it sound like a dying cat. All the training in the world would never have been able to prepare her for this. She was a master of several types of martial arts, she was also an assassin, a hacker, and a code breaker, but her fingers hurt, her foot was sore from experimenting with the pedals, and worst of all, the noise she was making masked the footsteps approaching the room, and only now did Joanna realise that Mycroft bloody Holmes was standing just a few feet behind her. Of course, Mycroft also had to walk in on that single moment of absolute failure. Yes, this was the end of the world, he knew now, he had something to use against her, the ammo, the knife in a pile of spoons. He would never let her live this down, no...Joanna was cut off from further going off with her internal tangent when, silently, Mycroft kneeled behind her, slid his hands underneath hers, and slowly started guiding her petite fingers through the notes of the song.

"See? Not so hard if you stop pounding on the poor piano like an enraged elephant, now is it?" He breathed. Normally, she would've retorted with a snarky comment of her own, but currently her mind was occupied with how easily Mycroft could create the most beautiful of sounds simply by nudging her fingers in the right direction.

"Well, I apologise, but I wasn't taught how to play an instrument, I was taught how to murder a man in a variety of creative and talented ways, " Joanna told him with a slight sigh as she leaned back into his chest slightly and breathed in deeply. "Of course with you and your poshness you would have learnt. I meant Sherlock knows how to play the violin so I would have expected nothing less," Joanna grumbled and Mycroft bent down and kissed the top of her head affectionately as she leaned further into his touch. He rolled his eyes good naturedly at her but with an endearing quality to it.

"If you wanted to learn all you had to do is ask," Mycroft told her and Joanna smiled brightly up at him before she slipped out from his hold and stood up, looking down at him.

"I think I'll leave it to you amante. Besides, if I am playing how would I be able to stare at you?" Joanna asked him with a devilish grin before she helped him to his feet and he bent down and kissed her soundly. "Almost Christmas now," Joanna reminded him and indeed it was with only two more day left until Christmas. They had to work on Christmas Eve but they had the entirety of Christmas Day off and Mycroft was determined to spend most of the morning having a long lie in. Joanna slipped out of his arms before she sauntered over to the kitchen counter which was still covered in tinsel, bows, and wrapping paper from when she was decorating their flat earlier and wrapping Christmas gifts. He actually had a small tree this year and decorations as he finally had someone to share the holiday with. Apparently this is what Christmas was like with a significant other. Joanna picked up one of the discarded bows and stuck it on top of her head before turning back round to look at him with a saucy smirk. "Care to open one of your presents early?" Joanna asked him before she swished away from him and walked into their bedroom. Mycroft smirked and followed after her, shaking his head at Joanna's antics. She would surely be the death of him.

On Christmas morning Mycroft awoke to the sound of Joanna singing Christmas carols softly on the other room. He roused himself and pulled himself from his comfortable bed, pulling on his dressing gown and slippers over his nude body before he padded out to the living room to find Joanna. She was in the kitchen and she smiled as soon as she saw him, dancing over to him as carols played on the radio and she pulled him closer to her by the ties of his dressing gown and kissed him soundly as he bent down to greet her. Mycroft held her to him for several long moments, taking in their home over the top of her head. Underneath their tree was a group of silver and green wrapped gifts along with his red and gold wrapped gifts for her that he had placed under the tree the night before. There were also the gifts his mother had sent them and one gift wrapped in brown paper had several stamps from various cities on it and had been sent by Lexi to them for Christmas. Mycroft had been surprised to find the antique British Police Pistol inside the box that had engraved on it, "Public Office Gt Marlboro St." Joanna had explained to him however that she had quite a large collection of antique guns and it was sort of a hobby of hers that Lexi knew about. It was as much Mycroft's gift as it was Joanna's as apparently she kept them all in working condition and that was what she used instead of newer models.

Mycroft had been nervous about what to get Joanna for Christmas so he had gotten her a custom built laptop that had the most amount of memory, features, and capabilities currently on the market that he was told any computer genius could upgrade to their own specifics. He assumed she was absolutely thrilled when she attacked him with kisses and nearly had him on the rug right in front of their tree. For him she had gotten usb cuff links as he was always complaining about losing his pen drive and on top of that she gave him a phone, one she had modified herself that would serve to be his own personal tool. Not only did it connect to any CCTV camera in the city but it could also hack into private servers, connect into any system and delete files at a whim. He could therefore if the need arose, connect to any computer and delete files within it as long as it was connected to Wi-Fi. She had given him her skills as a hacker along with making several apps for him that would monitor the traffic, connect with cars that had Bluetooth, and basically he could monitor every little detail in the city at once if he had the whim to. He did end up having her on their rug. Christmas was thankfully a quite affair with just the two of them as he had refused to spend it with his parents and rather than either of them try to cook and then have to do dishes they opted instead to go out to dinner and let someone else do the cooking and cleaning for them. They enjoyed Chinese food and intimate conversation before coming back home to watch It's A Wonderful Life and Mycroft decided that it truly was as long as he had Joanna by his side.


	18. Can You Find It In Your Heart?

**Alright sweeties some brief notes so you don't get confused. In Meeting Mummy it was three months after the Fall, then came Christmas, now it is eight months after the Fall. So yes, it jumped about five months. In that time we know what Lexi and Sherlock were up to. Well Joanna and Mycroft were taking care of much the same they always were and of course they've been together a bit of time glad that is cleared up. Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

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><p>Mycroft Holmes had seen Joanna do amazing things with a computer. He had seen her work long hours on paperwork and make negotiations with other countries, talking with government officials as if she did the job every single day. She could be a ruthless negotiator and she did not back down when men thought they could walk all over her. The British Government had never worked more efficiently. The one thing Mycroft Holmes had never truly seen was Joanna Reyer's other skills. He had seen her kill one man, a sniper taking aim at him, and she had told him that she would do anything to protect the people she loved, but he had never truly seen the things she could do. She claimed she could kill a man in a variety of interesting and creative ways and he was sure that she could. She was skilled, an intelligence agent and assassin but somehow he could never see her as that. Joanna was warm and caring and passionate. He could never see her as a murderer or a killer. But one day he did see her skills and one day he was glad of them and he wasn't scared of what she could do…he was proud.<p>

They had been out just the two of them, a date in the afternoon for lunch. It was just after the New Year. Joanna looked incredible in her dress. It was black, tight at the bodice and then flowing out from her hips. She had paired it with a pair of nude heels and her hair was down just like he liked it. He loved playing with her hair, not that he would ever tell her that. It was an odd occasion where they actually had time off in the middle of the week to spend with each other. There were no pressing matters for them to deal with and Sherlock and Lexi had checked in with them again and were doing relatively okay. They had some small issues with rogue governments right now but that wasn't too important or concerning and Joanna was monitoring that. Mycroft was smiling at Joanna and he had just stood up from his chair as they made to get ready to leave to restaurant when Joanna suddenly called out to him and he felt someone tackle him as he heard a gunshot. He fell backwards and hit the floor as other restaurant patrons started screaming. He looked up to find Joanna laying on top of his chest, her blue eyes gazing back into his and a deep frown on his faze before he realized that she had pushed him out of the way and someone had just tried to shoot him.

In another second her heard another shot and Joanna had rolled them both over roughly so that they were over behind one of the knocked over tables and behind cover. Her body was still shielding his and he grasped her tightly as she breathed heavily. She reached down suddenly and pulled up the skirt of her dress a bit, revealing a tight holster which had a gun on it. Mycroft blinked in shock, unable to move or speak as he fought to process what was going on. Joanna's eyes flashed angrily as she knelt down beside him and looked him over for any injury. Joanna herself had a large cut on her forehead which was bleeding a bit but she seemed to not notice it at all or even seemingly care. Mycroft sensed an entire shift in her body language. One moment she had been entirely at ease, smiling, and carefree and now she was tense, on edge, and something in her eyes told him dangerous. He wasn't scared of her though because she was looking at him with an expression of fierce protectiveness.

"Stay here. Do not move from this spot until I tell you that you can. Do you understand?" Joanna asked him and Mycroft was still too numb to answer her as she stared intensely at him. "Do you understand Mycroft?" She asked him again firmly, her tone stern and he nodded at her. Joanna leaned forward and kissed him deeply before she rolled out from behind cover, getting shot at immediately. Mycroft cowered behind his cover where Joanna had left him, fearing for not only his life, but more so for the life of Joanna.

He peeked out from behind his cover and saw her tuck into a roll which she sprang out of, holding two guns up as she sprang to her feet, walking to her right and crossing the room as she quickly returned fire. Mycroft could now see that there were ten men armed with automatic weapons in the front of the restaurant, all of which were shooting at her. He deduced that they all appeared to be Syrians, one of the rogue governments they were currently warring with. Assassins that had been sent to kill him, who hadn't been expecting him to be with Joanna of course. Joanna suddenly dropped down to the ground and hid behind a table. In the aftermath three of the men sudden dropped down dead and Mycroft saw the shots had hit them directly in the chest. Joanna sprung back up again and moved forward with another roll advancing toward the men who were still firing at her. She dropped one of her guns when a piece of wood from a nearby table got shot off and hit her in the hand at high velocity and she growled as her gun went skittering across the floor.

Mycroft blinked in shock when Joanna suddenly sprang forward and did a cartwheel, picking her fallen gun up as she spun and shooting the men as she got back to her feet so only three more remained. She was nearly on top of them now as they had been sitting in the back of the restaurants and the assassins were all by the doors. Mycroft frowned when he saw Joanna flinch slightly to the side but then she just jumped sideways as she continued to shoot, catching one of the men in the shoulder, another in the leg, and the last in the chest before she pulled a table down for cover. She sprang up over the top of it and hit the last two men, firing once, twice, and then silence rang out as all the gunshots stopped. Joanna leaned her head back on the table breathing heavily as she calmed down from the fire fight she just had. In the distance Mycroft could hear the sirens of police and ambulance crews. Joanna inhaled deeply before grunting and crawling out from behind the table. Her hand was bleeding slightly as was her head.

"My," Joanna called to him and Mycroft lifted his head over the table slightly. "You can come out now," Joanna told him and Mycroft crawled out from behind it and carefully made his way over to her across the broken glass and fallen tables and chairs, food strewn everywhere along with drinks, flatware, and table linen. Mycroft came to a stop beside her where she was resting with one foot tucked to her chest and the other folded straight out in front of her. Mycroft suddenly realized that she was holding her side tightly with her left hand and he saw that her dress looked darker over that patch of cloth. Her hand was stained red and she was breathing heavily. Oh God, she flinched because she had been shot.

"Joanna," Mycroft said frantically as his hands fluttered around her anxiously. He looked around and grabbed a clean cloth napkin and moved Joanna's hand, pressing it firmly into his side, unable to see how bad her wound actually was. She hissed in pain and gritted her teeth. "Oh God…I'm sorry," Mycroft apologized as he looked to the door, hearing the emergency crews coming closer.

"Myc calm down honey," Joanna told him as she inhaled deeply and then reached up to put her hand on his cheek. "I just have to breathe. I'm going to be okay. It isn't too deep. The bullet is lodged on my lower rib," She told him as if it was nothing.

"How can I be calm?! You were shot!" Mycroft asked her and she chuckled slightly before grimacing.

"Not the first time love," Joanna told him and she looked over at him, smiling slightly. "As good as I am, sometimes you can't move quickly enough. Emergency crews will be here in a moment," She told him soothingly as she rubbed his cheek and Mycroft was shocked that she was keeping him calm while she was the one that had been shot. Mycroft kept Joanna sitting quietly until the emergency crews burst through the doors of the restaurant. In the lead was a short man with sandy hair, his gun pulled out and a full swat team behind him. D.I. a very young D.I trying to make a name for himself. "Ah gentlemen. Good of you to join us. As you can see, I've already done your work for you," Joanna said as she turned her head round to look at the door as the men looked around at the restaurant and the ten dead men in shock before looking at them and pointing their guns at them. "Oh don't do the gun pointing thing. Makes you look like idiots," Joanna complained. "Dimmock can you call off your rookies please?" Joanna asked and Mycroft looked at her in confusion as the D.I stared at her in shock. "Mycroft Holmes very important man in the British Government, in fact he is nearly the British Government. And hi, hello, Joanna Reyer, British Security Services. They were assassins sent to kill him. I got shot. SO if we could please move this along," Joanna said impatiently.

"How do you know who I am?" The young D.I. asked as he gestured with his hand for his men to lower their guns.

"Well I did know Lexi MacKenna. She told me all about you Detective Inspector Dimmock. She thought you were going places and she was right. Now, an ambulance would be lovely as this really is starting to hurt," Joanna said, groaning a bit on the last word. Mycroft reached round Joanna and lifted her up into his arms bridal style, trying not to jostle her.

"You heard her," Mycroft said, getting his ominous government persona back on. Dimmock nodded and he let Mycroft walk right out of the restaurant. He looked down once at the bodies and Mycroft was once again amazed with the precision that Joanna had. Each and every shot save for the once after she got shot and her concentration had been momentarily broken had been a kill shot, one bullet only, right through the heart. It would have been an instant death.

Joanna was loaded into the back of a waiting ambulance and hooked up to a heart monitor and an IV. Mycroft only had to shoot the EMTS a dark look for them to let him in the back of the ambulance with her. He sat by her side as she complained slightly when they tore open her dress to get a better look at her wound. They kept her warm and put some morphine in her IV despite her protests at being given medicine that would make her mind sluggish. Mycroft however overruled her and nodded at the EMTs who nervously looked over at him. They skittered around the both of them nervously as Joanna swore when they checked out the entrance point of the bullet. Mycroft was forced to look away at that point, wanting to be sick and unable to look at her injury. She calmed down slightly as her pain meds started working and several moments later they were at ST. Bart's hospital and she was being taken into the emergency room.

"Oh for Christ's sake. Pull the fucking thing out with a pair of pliers and then just stich me up. I once took a bullet out with a spoon and sterilized the wound with vodka. I'll live," Joanna said as they wheeled her in through the hallway and Mycroft smirked slightly as he hurried after her and the doctors. "My," Joanna grumbled as she turned her head, looking for him.

"Here dearest," Mycroft said, the term of endearment slipping easily from his lips.

"She's going to need surgery," One doctor said and Joanna looked back at him, her eyes suddenly looking terrified.

"What no! Myc tell them!" Joanna demanded, sounding scared.

"Joanna…," Mycroft said as she was wheeled through a set of double doors and a man threw his arm out, stopping him in his tracks.

"Sir, you can't for through there. You are going to have to wait in the waiting room," The male nurse told him and Mycroft turned a glare on him. The man instantly backed down under his gaze. "Maybe you can er, help us with information on her actually," He said and Mycroft nodded tightly as the man held up a file. "What is your relationship with the patient?" The nurse started.

"I'm her partner," Mycroft told him, rolling his eyes in exasperation. How could people be so blind? He was living in a world of goldfish and his goldfish, his unique and beautiful goldfish was injured and beyond his reach.

"Okay…ah how old is she?" The nurse asked and Mycroft noticed that he had actually marked the box for spouse on Joanna's chart.

"Thirty eight, her birthdate is on November 23rd, her full name is Joanna Noel Reyer. She is allergic to strawberries and bees and she is a type one diabetic," Mycroft rambled off her medical history and the nurse nodded.

"Occupation?" He asked Mycroft and Mycroft sighed in irritation, not knowing how this was of any importance.

"British Security Services," Mycroft said and the man choked on the air.

"Mycroft?" Someone called behind him and both men turned to look behind them. Mycroft found Molly Hooper looking at him in confusion.

"Miss Hooper," Mycroft said, not noticing that he had sighed out in relief at having seen someone he actually recognized.

"What are you doing here?" Molly asked him as she walked over to him and the male nurse who was looking between the two of them, probably wondering how they knew each other.

"Joanna was shot," Mycroft said, realizing that just by saying it aloud to someone how incredibly lucky he was right now. They were assassins meant to kill him and she had protected him, even going so far as to shield him with her own body. They were not as skilled as her, not nearly as skilled but they still could have easily killed her.

"Oh my God! Is she alright?" Molly asked worriedly, her caring attitude being once again a remembrance of what she had done to help them save Sherlock and Lexi. Joanna and Molly had gotten to know each other in person, Joanna meeting her in a coffee shop and introducing herself personally.

"She's in surgery now," Mycroft told her and Molly wrung her hands before she looked over at the nurse.

"Did you already mark that she has diabetes?" Molly asked and the nurse nodded.

"Um…yeah," He said slowly. "Er I'll show you in to a private room," He told Mycroft and Mycroft nodded at him. At least the man realized that if Joanna worked for British Security Services and he was dressed as such, he obviously held a high position.

"Hang on a moment there," Someone called and Mycroft turned round with and exasperated sigh as Detective Inspector Dimmock stopped him. "I have to ask you a few questions," He said and Mycroft drew himself up to his full height, towering over the man and losing his temper completely in his concern over Joanna's wellbeing.

"No, Detective Inspector, you'll find that you do not. Any inquiries into the matter can be made with my office but not at this moment. Any pressing matters can be handled by my and Miss Reyer's personal assistant Anthea," Mycroft said agitatedly as he handed a business card off to the D.I. "Now, I would very much like to know what is going on with Joanna so you will go and skitter off and find out what is going on and you Detective Inspector will go and control the growing press coverage over the ten men who started shooting up a restaurant in Greater London," Mycroft ordered with an air of authority and the nurse did skitter off to do as he told him to.

"And why exactly was there a shooting in Greater London…sir?" Dimmock asked him and Mycroft closed his eyes at how familiar it sounded when the D.I. called him that.

"That would be because I hold a very important position with the British Government and those men were assassins hired to kill me," Mycroft answered him after taking a deep breath.

"And the illegal guns we found?" Dimmock asked him, raising his eyebrow.

"You will find they are not in fact illegal and belong to Miss Reyer who is the head of British Security Services. I find this line of inquiry has met its end, good day," Mycroft said, dismissing him and Dimmock nodded, seemingly understanding that Mycroft was not going to answer anything further.

"Is Joanna going to be alright? I mean…it wasn't bad was it?" Molly asked them as soon as they were left alone the two of them.

"She didn't believe it was no, but she did require surgery," Mycroft sighed heavily.

"She'll be alright Mycroft. This is Joanna. She's really strong," Molly said as she put a comforting arm on his shoulder and Mycroft nodded. The nurse came skittering back out.

"She's…she's in surgery now. Just minor surgery to take the bullet out and fix any internal injuries. She lost some blood so they are giving her a transfusion and erm…she should be in a room within the next hour or so," The nurse told him and Mycroft nodded gratefully. "I can show you through to the room she'll be brought up to," He said and Mycroft nodded again and had him lead the way. Molly followed behind him and he was shown into a private room. Molly hovered around his shoulder as Mycroft sat heavily down in the chair by the empty space where her bed would be.

"Do you want me to stay with you?" Molly asked him as the nurse left the room. "I…I don't have to get back just yet," She said and Mycroft shook his head.

"No…no. I'll be…fine," Mycroft sighed. "Thank you Miss Hooper," Mycroft said and Molly looked a bit hesitant before she nervously gave him a one armed hug.

"I'll come back later to check in on you two," Molly said and Mycroft nodded, waving her off slightly as he said there distractedly.

He sat there numbly for another hour and a half, his stomach churning in fear and anxiety until they finally wheeled Joanna into the room. Mycroft stood up quickly. Joanna looked slightly pale and they hooked her up to heart monitors and got her settled in, also hooking her IV up and a blood transfusion. Joanna's head had a few butterfly sutures on it and her hand was lightly bandaged but otherwise she looked okay. She had a few bruises and cuts on her fact and exposed arms but she was alive, still asleep but alive. He was informed that she would be waking up soon and that after she woke up to just call for the doctor so they could check her over again. Mycroft scooted his chair closer to her bed, not noticing the soft, knowing looks the nurses sent him as they left the room and he slid his hand into Joanna's smaller hand that was resting above her blankets. Her hands were so tiny, fully engulfed in his own. Mycroft waited, reaching out to stroke her cheek and after a bit longer he heard Joanna's breathing change and she suddenly turned her head slowly and pressed a gentle kiss to the palm of his hand. Mycroft breathed out a sigh of relief as Joanna's face scrunched up and then her eyes fluttered open.

"My," Joanna said and Mycroft smiled at her.

"I'm here dearest," Mycroft told her, the endearing term slipping out again and Joanna sighed out a deep breath before she smiled sleepily. "How are you feeling?" He asked her worriedly.

"Like I got shot," Joanna said in her typical fashion and Mycroft chuckled lightly as Joanna smiled again. "Actually I feel rather alright love but that might be because of the morphine," She said as she scrunched up her nose in distaste. "Ugh, I can feel my mind moving slower already," She complained and Mycroft squeezed her hand comfortingly.

"It's for the best though. I would rather you weren't in any pain," Mycroft told her and she rolled her eyes at him.

"I can handle it My. I had my big girl panties on today," Joanna told him and Mycroft sighed heavily.

"You shouldn't have to. You shouldn't have to shield me with your own body or protect me," Mycroft told her and she looked up at him and sighed heavily.

"Well, I knew you would have a problem with that," She said softly.

"Of course I have a problem with it. What if you had been shot some place else? What if you had been killed? What would I have done then?" Mycroft asked her, finally voicing his fears and Joanna reached out and cupped his cheek with her hand and rubbed her thumb over his jaw.

"Honey, it was never a possibility. I might seem relaxed around you and I am but I am always ready. I have to be. I use my eyes. I notice everything. I don't think there will ever be a time that I fully let my guard down save for those times that I know for certain that I can and those times are only when I am alone with you, in our home, in our bed. I made sure I could see the door. I knew what was going to happen seconds before it did. I reacted without thinking. It was never a conscious thought. I just knew that I had to protect you and I went through the motions that would let me do that. Honestly…I didn't really realize anything that had happened until they were all dead and I was sitting there and then I called you to let you know it was safe to come out. And that scares me a bit. Normally I am more in control of my reactions to situations, but in a way I'm glad that my first priority is to protect you," Joanna admitted to him and Mycroft sighed and then leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I…I didn't want to scare you either," Joanna said, looking away from him as he sat back in his seat. "I…I know that you know that there are certain things I can do, certain things I have been trained to do, but I never wanted…I don't want you to see me like that," Joanna told him and Mycroft cut her off by kissing her and her heart monitor spiked just slightly and Mycroft broke their kiss in alarm. "Well…scientific proof that you have an effect on me," Joanna mused with a smile playing on her lips, Mycroft grinned back before growing more serious.

"Joanna you could never push me away…never make me want to be anywhere but by your side. What I saw was simply a woman that I love risking her life to protect me. Yes, I do know about the training you possess but I will never see you as anything but beautiful, amazing, brilliant, and the woman who chose me," Mycroft told Joanna and a few tears welled up in her eyes as Mycroft rubbed her cheek lightly. "Besides seeing you firing guns was oddly arousing," He told her and she chuckled throatily.

"Well maybe we can go down to a gun range together and I can give you some lessons then," Joanna told him before she grinned cheekily. "Or if you want you can just watch me," She told him before she nuzzled the palm of his hand and kissed it. Mycroft stared at her for a moment before chuckling as he realized just how perfect she was.

"Marry me," He said suddenly, the words slipping out of his mouth before he could stop them.

"What?" Joanna asked him, blinking slightly and Mycroft realized what he had said a moment ago and his eyes widened a bit before he realized that he truly did want to ask her that question. He had been thinking about it a lot lately, when to ask her to marry him, if he should, how he should and somehow this impromptu slip up seemed to be the perfect occasion even if he hadn't planned on it.

"Marry me?" Mycroft asked her instead of simply stating it now and he moved so that he was holding her hand in both of his own now.

"Are you on the drugs or am I?" Joanna asked him and Mycroft shook his head quickly.

"I'm being perfectly serious. Will you marry me Hanna Nicolette Eliza Dubois?" Mycroft asked her, using her actual name as he shifted so that he was kneeling down on one knee beside her bed, looking up at her. "I have spent nearly every single day of my life alone and unhappy and then I met you. I love you and I can't tell you often enough. You are the best thing that has ever happened in my life. I never imagined that I would ever marry because I never thought I would ever find a woman who would want me. You see me and you love me despite the man that I am. You understand me in a way no one else ever has. You are the exception to every rule I have ever set for myself. You've shown me that all of my own ideals, that caring is not an advantage, are unfounded. Caring is an advantage Hanna. Every day I have spent with you has been the best of my life. I…I feel happier with you. I used to spend my time worrying only about my brother and Lexi's wellbeing, lording over the British government, but you have taught me so much about myself. I don't want to spend a day with you not in it. When we met we fought and I made judgments of you that I never should have because you have never been anything other than beautiful, intelligent, caring, passionate, amazing, brilliant, and if you will have me and see it in your heart to…could you do me the extreme honor of becoming my wife? Of becoming mine in everything? I wish to share every day, every moment I have with you. Everything that is mine is already yours, but I would very much like for you to have my name as well," Mycroft said, speaking with emotion and tenderness that not even he knew he possessed and Sherlock probably would have teased him for as Joanna looked back at him with wide, tear filled eyes.

"You silly, stubborn, posh, amazing, oh goodness, really, really sexy when you are trying to propose fool," Joanna said tearfully with a bright smile as she chuckled lightly. "Of course I will marry you. I was beginning to think you were never going to just ask me and have done with it," Joanna told him as she all but pulled him to his feet and crashed her lips to his. Mycroft made a pleasant sound and tangled his fingers into her hair and neither of them noticed her heart rate monitor spiking erratically until two nurses suddenly burst into the room and Joanna let our an embarrassed squeak and she and Mycroft quickly broke apart. The nurses blinked at the two of them as Mycroft stepped slightly away from Joanna, though Joanna kept him close to her by catching his hand in her own and clearing her throat slightly with a cough. "Oh, hello," Joanna said to the nurses.

"Good to see your awake now. We'll notify your doctor so they can come and see how you are," One of the nurses said and Joanna nodded at her.

"Thank you," Mycroft told her as the nurses gave him knowing looks and they bowed out of the room, leaving him and Joanna alone again. He looked down at Joanna and she suddenly burst out laughing. He laughed with her after a moment, settling back into the chair at her side as she shook her head.

"God, I feel like the kid that got caught out by their parents," Joanna said before shrugging a bit. "Not that I know what that is actually like but Desmond nearly did kill the one boy who tried to kiss me when I was in middle school," She said and Mycroft growled slightly under his breath and Joanna smirked at him. "You know it is really hot when you do that," Joanna told him and Mycroft suddenly blinked when he realized what he had done. "Don't worry, I was twelve. I don't think you have to worry about Andrew Campbell," She laughed and Mycroft sighed and rolled his eyes good naturedly at her teasing of him. They sat for a moment in silence as he held her hand, rubbing nonsensical patterns onto the back of it, before Joanna once again broke the silence. "Did we just get engaged?" She asked him as she turned to look at him.

"I believe we did," Mycroft told her as he looked up at her and then he frowned in worry. "I don't have a ring," Mycroft told her and she shook her head at him.

"I don't need a ring idiot. All I need is you," Joanna told him and Mycroft leaned in to kiss him again but she put a hand over his lips and stopped him.

"Um honey. We might want to wait until they let me off the heart monitors," Joanna reminded him with a small smile. "Though if it will help increase your male ego that you can affect me so much, by all means, scare my nurses again," She said as she removed her hand from his lips.

"Best not," Mycroft told her, kissing her forehead instead and Joanna sighed in contentment as he sat back. The door opened then and her doctor came in, a woman in her late forties, all bright smiles.

"Ah, good to see your awake Miss Reyer. I am Dr. Smyth. How are we feeling?" She asked her and Mycroft was glad that her doctor was a woman and not a man. She was blonde with brown eyes and that was as far as Mycroft cared to look.

"Honestly despite getting shot I feel completely fine. I'm used to it in my line of work and it really isn't the first time. I really just want to get home," Joanna told her and the doctor nodded at her.

"I understand you want to get home Miss Reyer but we really should hold you for the night for observations," Dr. Smyth told her and Joanna smiled at her in a way that Mycroft knew meant Joanna would be getting what she wanted.

"Dr. Smyth, I work as the head of British Security Services. I wasn't really asking you if I could leave now. I was telling you that I was leaving now," Joanna said and the doctor's eyes widened in shock.

"But you can't you just had surgery! You really do need to stay at least for the night so we can monitor you," Dr. Smyth protested and Joanna smiled at her sweetly.

"I can actually because my fiancée of all of three minutes works as the head of the British Government and I really want to go home and rest in my own bed right now with him. I don't want to be here. I also, and Myc listen very close to this, feel fine and know my limits. I know I am not going to pass out, keel over, or suddenly go into shock or cardiac arrest or have any complications from my surgery or from getting shot. I know where I got shot there was minimal internal damage, I needed a blood transfusion yes, but anyone would after getting shot. I'll have a beautiful stake dinner tonight and then get a lot of rest and I'll be perfectly fine, so if you could get my discharge papers and not make a fuss out of it everything will be much better on you because you don't want to see me make a fuss," Joanna warned the doctor who stared at her in a terrified manner before nodding and skittering off.

"Did you have to scare her?" Mycroft asked her with an amused grin on his face.

"Not really, but I knew it would make her move faster and I wasn't lying. I do want to go home and just fall into bed with you and fall asleep until the world ends or we have to go back into work. Whichever comes first," Joanna told him and Mycroft nodded at her.

"As you wish dearest," Mycroft said as he got out his phone and texted Anthea for her to send a car over to the hospital to collect them. Dr. Smyth returned and Joanna signed her discharge papers before the doctor also handed Joanna her black handbag.

"The Detective Inspector said he found this at the restaurant for you and to pass it along with his sincere wishes for your speedy recovery," Dr. Smyth told her before leaving and Joanna looked extremely happy to have her bag and her mobile back in her hands, especially since her mobile had some pretty advanced technology in it that did not need to wind up falling into the wrong hands. That and her hand bag also had her pen drive in it and her wallet. She checked that it was all there and sighed in relief when she found that it was. Joanna never left the house without the pen drive, not wanting to even leave it in their house, claiming she didn't want to be like Irene Adler and think it was safe if she hid it somewhere. Mycroft told her it was better to just destroy it but she told him that it wasn't time to yet.

"More like he wanted to kiss ass. Lexi did say he was an ass kisser, looking for approval. Ah well, this will just be something else I can handle when I get back to work. I can afford to take a few personal days before I take care of the shit storm that will probably follow. Ugh, Parliament isn't going to like this and I don't want to even think of what the ambassadors will do when they catch wind of this. It'll be all over the telly by the time we get home," Joanna groaned as she rubbed her temples, a stress induced migraine probably coming on.

"Anthea will have already started taking care of the press coverage of the incident dearest. Do try and relax," Mycroft told her as a wheelchair was brought in for her and she was removed from all the tubes and wiring. They had brought her a pair of hospital scrubs to wear home since they had to cut her out of her dress.

"Can you give me a hand getting these on?" Joanna asked him as she gestured to the scrubs at the foot of her bed and Mycroft nodded before getting to his feet. He helped her out of her hospital gown and he flinched when he saw the gauze that covered over her lower ribs on her right side. Right side, not left, not anywhere near her heart thankfully. He noticed something he hadn't really noticed before, something he should have after all this time.

He did notice her scars of course. He couldn't not notice them with all the intimate amount of time they spent together or with all the times he would spend gazing at her naked form as she slept, tracing every contour of her body. She was a goddess in his eyes and he tried to prove to her how much he felt that she was every day. Loving Joanna was as easy as breathing and like breathing she was just as needed for without Joanna he could no longer live. He had traced the scars he had found on her shoulders, arms, legs, some even on her thighs. She had some on her arms, one on the back of her neck, one behind her left ear and several on her forehead near her hairline. What he had never noticed before was the small starburst like scar on her side close to her left hip. This one was non critical as well, must have missed all major organs, but it still was enough to have sent her to the hospital. Left untreated any gunshot injury was fatal. She said she had once taken a bullet out with a spoon and sterilized the wound with vodka. Dear God the things she had to do. She caught him staring at it and caught his chin up and her hand, forcing his eyes up to her own.

"Russia. Lexi was twenty-one at the time and had a growing detective business in Dublin. I had just left her and decided to go and track down a man for hire. He was one of the worst intelligence agents beside myself and a woman named A.G.R.A. I found out that he was getting in big with a bunch of rogue governments, bad organizations, it was time we had a little chat. His chat ended with me getting shot. A few months later he was killed though so I can't really complain," Joanna told him as Mycroft finished helping her get dressed.

"And did you really use a spoon and vodka?" He asked her and Joanna grinned at him brightly which told him exactly what he needed to know.

Mycroft sighed and pressed a kiss lightly to her lips now that her heart monitor would no longer give them away and she pulled him in for a deeper kiss which lasted longer than just a few seconds. After they broke apart, Mycroft helped her stand. She sucked in a breath and hissed slightly in pain but Mycroft carefully helped her walk forward before helping her lower herself carefully into the provided wheelchair. Once she was settled Mycroft pushed her out of the room and through the halls of the hospital. They met up with Molly in the hall who was just headed back to check in on them and while the woman was worried if Joanna would be alright at home, Joanna set her at ease. Molly gave her a careful hug and waved at Mycroft before he pushed her outside of the hospital where their car was already waiting. Anthea herself slid out from the back seat and opened the door and she helped Mycroft get Joanna standing once again and get her inside of the car. Once they arrived back at their house Anthea helped Mycroft get Joanna in and then she left them.

Joanna grabbed a pair of comfortable pajamas which Mycroft helped her change into and then Joanna piled her hair into a messy bun before she let Mycroft help her into bed. Once Joanna was tucked as comfortably as she could be inside the warm sheets, he went and made them tea. A knock sounded at the door and he answered it, being met with Anthea who had returned with Joanna's prescripts. Mycroft thanked her profusely before he returned to their bedroom and to his fiancée. He froze when he thought the word before he smiled to himself. His fiancée, yes, she rather was and as soon as he could he was going to go out and find her the perfect ring as, while she said she didn't want one, he was a man of traditions and she did in fact deserve some token of his love for her. He brought Joanna her tea before changing out of his suit and into his own night clothes despite the fact it wasn't even seven in the evening yet. He cuddled up with Joanna in his perfect little corner of the world, hoping that wherever Sherlock and Lexi were they were safe, together, and just as happy with each other as he was with Joanna. Of course at the current moment Sherlock and Lexi were in Cairo and trying on fezzes.


	19. Fancy French Flapjacks

Mycroft awoke feeling very warm and comfortable. He buried his face further into his pillow, smiling to himself. Never before when he lived on his own and well was alone had he ever awoken feeling o energized and well rested. Sleeping next to Joanna had certainly improved his health and state of mind. Speaking of Joanna, Mycroft reached his hand out for her, wanting nothing more than to draw her to his chest and bury his face into his hair for a morning cuddle but he came back with only empty sheets. He frowned and lifted his head from his pillow, opening his eyes blearily to find that the space normally occupied by his petite fiancée was empty. He was able to deduce however that she had only recently gotten out of bed as the sheets were still slightly warm. He breathed in the scent of vanilla and almonds which lingered on her pillow and then furrowed his brown slightly when he caught the scent of something else in the air. Mycroft groaned slightly as he pulled himself up to sitting, the silk sheets falling off of his bare chest. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and slipped his feet into his house shoes before standing. He padded over to the door and pulled his dressing gown off of the back of it, pulling it on so he wouldn't be walking around in just his pants, not that Joanna would really mind if he did. He left their bedroom with the intention of finding Joanna, his fiancée of eleven months.

It really had been that long for the both of them. He had proposed to her around the time that Sherlock and Lexi were in Cairo. His brother and Lexi were now married in some unofficial and illegal ceremony in Hungary and last they had contacted them they had been in Germany. It had been nineteen months since the Fall. In the last eleven months Joanna had recovered from her injury well. It had taken her a month to recover physically and then another two months to get back into fighting shape as she called it as it still somewhat pained her to perform certain activities, those including ones in the bedroom. Since their engagement they were even close than before. Mycroft had informed his parents of their engagement had had endured the customary visit that it entailed. Joanna certainly acted as his anchor in more than one way, grounding him and relaxing him enough to make it through a meeting with his parents without him wanting to kill himself. They were closer, far closer than before though Mycroft still liked to keep their relationship behind closed doors. He was not ashamed of Joanna. In fact, he would very much like to flaunt the fact that he had such a beautiful woman on his arm to every man within a ten kilometer radius, but while outside of their house he refrained from anything more than hand holding or a chaste kiss on her cheek. Joanna often would roll her eyes at him for this but she understood and would accept both. As soon as they were in the car however she would pull him in for a deep kiss before snuggling up to him.

Mycroft couldn't even begin to comprehend how his life had become this. Just over a year ago his life had been spent with countless office hours and watching out for his brother and Lexi. He spent any free time he had at the office because it was better than being at home alone. Sometimes he did spend time at home alone and those nights were filled with a longing for company. He was lonely but no one quite enjoyed the company of a middle aged government official. Then Joanna had come into his life and while he still spent long hours in the office and he still watched out for his brother and Lexi, his days were also filled with mornings cuddling with Joanna in bed, late night tangles in the sheets, lunch dates, romantic evenings together, a simple cuddle on the couch, and domestic everyday life. He had seen her when she was sick with a cold and she had seen him when his joints all ached and he had no wish to move. They cared for each other like and old married couple might. Joanna was extremely loving and caring for those she wanted to protect and loved. She would often just watch him as if he was the most interesting thing in the world and he had been caught staring at her a fair few times too. She said that, to her, he was the most handsome man she had ever seen before. He thought she was lying but she was very adamant about this and he realized that to her, he was. To be desired by her was thrilling, as much as desiring her was. They worked together. Sometimes they clashed, butted heads, and had arguments but they could never stay angry at each other for long and making up from an argument was always enjoyable.

Mycroft paused in the doorway of their kitchen, leaning against the door frame and peeking inside to take in the domestic sight he had stumbled upon on his search for Joanna. His fiancée was covered in flour, her raven hair dusted with it so it almost looked white, and the entire kitchen was an absolute mess. There were mixing bowls, measuring cups, spoons, and all matters of ingredients spread over the counters. Joanna stood in the middle of the destruction, humming to herself as she mixed something in a bowl with a wooden spoon. She made a noise and pulled a face, obviously having gotten something in her mouth and Mycroft was forced to bite back a chuckle. Even with flour in her hair and coating her cheeks she still looked like the most beautiful thing he had ever seen before. So as not to frighten her, which would probably end with him getting a spoon chucked at his head, he cleared his throat to announce his presence. Joanna turned around with a bright smile on her face and Mycroft couldn't help but smile back at her. He pushed off of the door frame and crossed the kitchen over to her, wrapping his larger arms around her waist before leaning down to rest his chin on her shoulder. Joanna turned her head to look back at him and she pressed a small kiss to his cheek.

"Morning love," She murmured her voice filled with affection and he leaned down and planted a kiss on her lips.

"Good morning mon ange," Mycroft greet her with a slight hum. "Why are you up so early?" He asked her, pouting slightly and she giggled before she put the bowl she still had in her hands down on the counter so she could turn in his arms and cuddle closer to him. She closed her eyes and snuggled her head deeper into his chest, breathing in deeply as her left hand rested on his chest, showing off the ring he had gotten her. It was simple, three stones with smaller stones set into the band. She had said when he had gotten it for her and first slipped it on her finger that she was slightly afraid to wear it as it was dainty and she was afraid to break it. He had only chuckled and told her diamonds were strong like her and they might look dainty but they could withstand more than they looked like they could.

"I was hungry," She mumbled into his chest and Mycroft chuckled at that. Joanna had told him that she had two loves, him and food. He had learnt never to come between her and food when she was hungry.

"I can see that," He said as he pointedly flicked his gaze around the kitchen and Joanna raised her eyebrow at him in a way that was even more terrifying than when Lexi had done the same before.

"I was going to bring my fiancée breakfast in bed but now…," Joanna said as she pulled back from his hold slightly and Mycroft pulled her right back into his arms.

"I didn't meant it like that…," Mycroft protested before he was cut off by Joanna's lips on his own. When they broke apart she was smiling up at him happily.

"I know love. I got a bit carried away because I couldn't quite decide what I wanted," Joanna said as she scrunched up her nose in that adorable way which made Mycroft bend down and kiss the tip of her nose.

"Well why don't I help you then since I am awake now?" Mycroft offered and Joanna smiled brightly at him.

"I like the sound of that amante. A man that can cook is dead sexy. It's why I like watching you in the kitchen," She said, smirking when he blushed slightly at her compliment. She bumped his hip with her own before pulling out of his arms and picking her bowl back up again. "I was making crepe batter," She informed him and Mycroft hummed slightly as he looked into the bowl. Joanna made French food like you would not believe.

They had a long conversation once after Joanna noticed that he rarely ever ate any sweets and when she noticed that he was only eating vegetables and small portions as he was on one of his diets again. He was reluctant to tell her about his insecurities about his weight but she had already told him so much about herself that he owed it to her to be able to tell her about himself. He had explained to her that he had always been larger as a child than Sherlock and that he was bullied at school for his weight and that Sherlock had always picked on him at home because of it. He had, had an eating disorder when he was younger which, now that he was older he was almost able to kick completely but it manifested in him trying all manners of diets in an attempt to lose any weight that he could. Joanna had listen to him without even a judgmental look and when he was finished he asked her why and she had told him once again that it would be a sort of shitty thing to do to him, her words not his, due to the fact that she wasn't exactly thin herself. She was a size sixteen and had struggled with her weight her entire life. At some point she had learnt to just say fuck it, again her words not his, and to be happy with herself. She therefore ate what she wanted too if it made her happy. She told him they only got to live once so indulging in cake every now and then wasn't going to kill them and eating food that actually tasted good was actually healthier.

Joanna then made a promise to do it with him, they would get healthier together. They started eating out less and cooking more at home together and they found ways to cut out some ingredients and substitute them with healthier ones. If they could cook with rice flour more than regular flour they did and Mycroft lost fifteen pounds alone in the last eleven months and Joanna lost twelve. They also started exercising together, converting one of the rooms in his house into a home gym. Joanna claimed it was really upscale and posh but she was starting to get used to it. Having someone to do it with him made it easier for him to actually stick to it, especially when she found a way to make his beloved German chocolate cake healthier and still taste the same as before. Joanna's weakness was for French food. She made amazing crepes or fancy French pancakes as she jokingly called them as she told him that was all Lexi would ever call them, quiche, French onion soup, Ratatouille, and a sinful Tourtiere. Her French heritage certainly made her a good cook and his mother had taught him well enough too. He of course knew more British recipes. Joanna also introduced him to American dishes.

"I'm assuming you were making something to put in the fancy French pancakes as well," Mycroft mused as he looked over the counter and the other bowl which had a custard looking filling inside of it and Joanna hummed, smiling widely at him and Mycroft chuckled at her.

"Always. Can you finish it for me?" She asked him and Mycroft nodded before he grabbed the bowl. He looked over her recipe and she told him exactly where she was in it and he started adding the last of the ingredients before he mixed it dutifully. Joanna often had the habit of making more than one thing at once and getting distracted part way through something so she would often have half-done mixtures scattered about the kitchen if he wasn't careful and came to remind her of them. It never ceased to amaze him how she could be so centered in the middle of battle and then so scatter brained in the kitchen. However as she had saved his life twice now, the second time being from someone who attempted to walk up and stab him on the street who she had quickly taken out, this time not killing them and not injuring herself either, he wasn't going to tell her this.

Joanna got a pan out on the stove and put a sizeable lump of butter in it and waited for it to melt. Once it was hot enough she poured some batter into it and it started to sizzle a bit as she turned the heat down a bit. The kitchen was filled with the scent of cooking crepes and she grinned back at him and went back to humming as she danced around the kitchen and started cleaning up her mess. Mycroft pulled the raspberries out of the refrigerator and washed them at the sink and Joanna leaned up and kissed him as she loaded the other side of the sink with a few measuring cups and spoons before going back to flip her crepe. As it cooked she continued to clean and once again Mycroft could see the black marble of his counter top. Joanna seemed to know when each side was done and she danced back to the stove and flipped the crepe into a waiting dish, putting butter on it before covering it with a lid to keep it warm as she started on the next one. Mycroft finally realized that she was humming the song she had first sang to him in the elevator when they were trapped together. He had once asked her about it and she had told him that it translated to the first luck of the day and that that was when the sun looped around her lovers arm and landed on her shoulder and then the breath of the sea, and the song of the bird. The first misery of the day was the door that shut separating the lovers, the car that left and the silence that settled, but the last luck of the day was when her lover returned and her life once again started and when the lamp turned off at night. Mycroft found her singing to him in French to be breathtaking and incredibly endearing.

Sometimes she would whisper to him in French when they were cuddled up in bed together. Sometimes they were just sweet nothings, other times she used her knowledge of the language for evil and he attacker her mouth then as punishment for the utter filth pouring out of her mouth. Joanna actually knew more languages than him, as many as Lexi if not more though that did not surprise him given that she was an intelligence agent. She would often swear in Russian like Lexi would but she often would come out with things in Serbian, Romanian, or Bulgarian. She had once spoken a long string of Hungarian after working on a computer that was giving her a bit of trouble and Mycroft was sure she had just cursed someone's mother. Right now though she was as sweet as she could ever be. Mycroft finished washing the raspberries and dumped them into a bowl as he waited for Joanna to finish making the crepes and then she sang to him as she worked. They took the crepes out and Mycroft carefully spooned some of the custard inside them and put several raspberries in each one before Joanna rolled them and put them on one plate for them to share. Once they were finished Mycroft put the bowls in the sink along with the pan for them to wash later and Joanna drizzled a bit of chocolate over the top of the crepes and then dusted them with powdered sugar. Mycroft returned to Joanna with a wet tea towel and she giggled when he wiped the flour off of her cheeks. He kissed her again lightly and then they brought their meal to the kitchen table, sitting closely together. They only had one fork and Mycroft took turns alternating between feeding Joanna and himself. He kissed a bit of chocolate and powdered sugar off of her lips and she giggled and nuzzled him slightly. For just a bit of time Mycroft could almost forget that his brother and Lexi were off in Germany doing God knows what, he had Joanna and they were together and if anything else he was assured that they would be together for a while still. Things weren't normal for them, but these little moments, these few short moments they stole when they didn't have to play government or nurse maid anyone were his favourite and he would forever enjoy them. Joanna was his different sort of goldfish and he would forever be grateful that in the entire fish bowl she had chosen him.


	20. Wading In

**This chapter is for Marci who was texting me while I writing this while she was supposed to be doing a biology project on the genetic disease porphyria. I do not condone texting me while in class. Mellie**

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><p>Serbia, Mycroft was currently on a plane with Joanna and that was their destination. Joanna was trying to teach him Serbian which was difficult, but the language had a Slavic root with frequent Turkish and German loan words. They had just gotten word that Sherlock and Lexi had been captured by one of Moriarty's last pieces of his network, the Serbian side of his the puzzle. Right now they were probably being tortured for information but Mycroft didn't want to think about that. He wanted to concentrate on trying to learn what Joanna was teaching him and try to listen to her plan on how they were going to get into the compound. He didn't do leg work or wadding in but this time he would have to. This time they both would have to infiltrate the compound to get Sherlock and Lexi out. Mycroft didn't want Joanna getting within ten kilometers of it but he was forced to have to let her as she spoke Serbian better than him and she also was trained for these sort of missions. If anything happened, any mistakes in their plans, he would need her help to get them all out safely. What she proposed was that he would go in undercover as an officer and weasel his way in until he over saw Sherlock and Lexi's interrogations. She could easily work it around that he was the one to do so. She on the other hand would have to be on the other side of the base working in the security offices so that when it came time for them to leave she would know the patrols and when she could get them out. They would have to be separated, have very little contact with one another besides in passing and she asked him if he could do it, if he could treat her like everyone else. He could, of course he could because he had too, but it would be the most difficult thing he ever had to do especially since she had been his fiancé now for over a year.<p>

His Serbian was passable under her teachings. He could speak it after only a couple of hours of lessons on the plane. Joanna told him his accent needed a bit of work but it should pass without any notice. This was another side of Joanna he had yet to see. While she was still being gentle and caring towards him she was also in full on protective and mission mode. He could see in her eyes that she was calculating every possibility, she was like a soldier underneath all of it. He was amazed yet again by what she could do. She taught him with ease, remembering everything while at the same time slipping into another language as she picked up a phone call in the middle of their lesson. She retained more than was possible. He asked her how she could remember it all and she explained to him that she wasn't like Lexi but she compartmentalized everything. That her time learning everything to be an intelligence agent forced her to learn how to be able to remember everything. She had a sort of mind palace, not that she would call it that. It was a good defense system of the mind and she told him that if used correctly you could use the mind over measure method in a situation to work through pain like she had when she had gotten shot. It kept a person going when they had to when they had no choice but to.

Mycroft stayed close to Joanna as much as he could until they were forced to sit apart from each other for the last few kilometers in the covered truck that was bringing them to the compound. They were both dressed in officer's uniforms with furry hats to keep out the cold which Mycroft was not looking forward to at all and Joanna had did some hacking, major hacking, and had added their undercover names to a transfer list of people entering the compound. He would be known as Mihajlo for however long it took to infiltrate their group and get to where he needed to get Sherlock and Lexi out. It was the Serbian variation for Michael and Joanna said it was the closest name she could get to his own. He did not prefer it but he would have to. Joanna would be known as Ivana which was the Serbian variation of her name. Mycroft thought it was actually quite pretty for her. As they passed through the gates of the compound, Joanna's back stiffened and her face hardened as her eyebrow raised slightly and her expression turned cold. Guards came out to inspect the truck and find out who was entering the compound and Joanna dropped her new persona for just a second as he dropped his own and she quickly whispered to him in French, how much she loved him and to remember that and that on no accounts was she to find that he had gotten himself hurt but that they could do this together. He quickly expressed his love back to her before they were forced back into their personas as the people came forward.

"Who are you?" One Serbian guard snapped at them as he opened the back canvas flap that covered the truck and Mycroft and Joanna turned to face him. Joanna looked nearly terrifying, exactly as she should in this situation when there would be mostly men in the compound and very little women.

"Transfers," Mycroft grunted in Serbian back to him and he could read in Joanna's body language that she was proud of him and that he had gotten it right.

"Names?" The guard asked him roughly as he shot a look over at Joanna and Mycroft augmented his own style of speaking to the way the guard was speaking, rough and course.

"Mihajlo Dragovic," Mycroft gave him, hoping that Joanna's hacking was full proof though he knew he should never doubt her. Here however was where the first part of their plan could go wrong. One slip of here and they both would be dead before they even got inside the compound.

"Ivana Petrovic," Joanna said and Mycroft had to school his face to keep his eyes from widening in surprise. Joanna sounded nothing like herself. Her accent was perfect, her tone cold and course, she would fit in easier than he would with these people. Of course he always knew that. As an intelligence agent she had to know how to slip into places unseen and unannounced. She had to know how to infiltrate entire places and she had before. He hadn't however. The guard checked a list on the clipboard he was holding and nodded and Mycroft let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"We were expecting you two. You must report to the main office to get your assignments," The guard told them and Joanna nodded at him in a board fashion which Mycroft saw from the guards expression seemed to be the customary response for an officer of their rank.

"We know," Mycroft told him harshly with a wave of his hand. "Can we go?" He asked him flippantly as he gestured ahead of them and the guard nodded and closed the flap again, banging twice on the side of the truck before it trundled into the compound.

Their driver was one of Joanna's contacts here in Serbia who owed her a favor and he had done his job exactly as she told him too. He had spoken with the other guard and said he was a new driver. Nothing to worry about and happened all the time. It went down perfectly and now they were in the compound. He would leave them and Joanna would contact him only one more time for the other half of their deal when they found a time to get Lexi and Sherlock out. Mycroft turned to Joanna as soon as the flap closed and they were safely hidden from prying eyes and they both sighed heavily in relief. Joanna laughed nervously and Mycroft reached out and took her hand in his squeezing it tightly to comfort her. She nodded at him once and in a bold move, leaned across the truck and kissed him lightly before sitting back in place and dropping his hand. Mycroft was thankful for that because it would be the last kiss he got from her in a while. They went to the main office as they were directed too, Mycroft getting them directions from a passing soldier. They walked a few feet apart from one another and just that amount of separation was torture. Mycroft was assigned to a group of soldiers and Joanna was assigned to overlook a small section of security. They would both need to make it up in the ranks and worm their way in, in order to get Lexi and Sherlock out but it was a start. They parted ways and Joanna gave him a firm look which told him to not give up and that she would be more than alright. She knew how worried he was about her. She was of course not wearing her engagement ring. They had to appear cold, harsh, and unattached. Anything could be used as a weakness, especially if they made one wrong move, one slip up that showed that they cared for each other.

Mycroft left for his assigned station as Joanna left for hers. They were completely separated across the base from each other. The first few hours were hell. Mycroft met the men he was supposed to take over and command and he settled into his quarters. He also began to hear the men talking about the prisoners they had captured. He tried to find out whatever he could, asking a few questions but not too many as to become suspicious. Joanna on the other hand was shown to her quarters in the woman's area. There were only three other female soldiers on the base and only one other female was and officer like her. They looked at her with sneers but she raised her eyebrow at them once before taking off her jacket and stowing away her cargo bag. The action left her in just a muscle shirt which exposed her shoulders and showed off her scars. After that the women thought better of her. She was shown to her command post where she would monitor the cameras of one section of the compound. It was an easy job but would give her a look at what they layout of the compound was like. She needed to move up and secure a position as head of security. That wouldn't be a problem, she had a plan. One she hadn't exactly told Mycroft because well…he would tell her not to. The plan was to get rid of the current people in the positions they needed to be in. Just two more people to add to her record. They would disappear and their names would come up for promotion into the positions. The less Mycroft knew about the plan the better. She would need a day or two to figure out how to do it but they had to do this right or all four of them would be killed.

The only time they got to see each other again was at the canteen that night. Joanna looked across the room at him and nodded slightly so as not to attract too much attention. Mycroft nodded back to her before going to sit with his soldiers. He sat quietly, only speaking when necessarily in a clipped tone. Joanna sat with the other woman and she kept her head down as Mycroft watched her, noticing how a few of the men shot her looks before talking amongst themselves. He held back in the tight growl and urge to get up and go over and get them to stop looking at her. He knew it was possible that men would take interest in her. She was beautiful but he never expected to have to watch it happen. She looked across to him when they both finished eating some sort of lukewarm cabbage soup and he nodded back to her and they both stood. They walked out at the same time and Joanna covertly slipped her hand into his and squeezed his briefly before she pulled away and walked in the other direction, the both of them acting like nothing had even happened. It was a very long night for the both of them as they slept, shivering in their beds, unaccustomed to sleeping alone. Joanna once again had her old nightmares now that she didn't have Mycroft to hold her and Mycroft felt that pulling at his heart that he used to feel when he was alone as he thought of Joanna who was so close to him and also so far away.

The next day was just as brutal for both of them. They had to rise in the early hours and once again they only saw each other at meal times. In between they were forced to act like they knew what they were doing. Mycroft fared worse than Joanna like they knew he would. He managed however, having worked with MI6 a few times before. Never on something to this degree, but he could do it. He heard more news about Sherlock and Lexi but just in passing. The soldiers mentioned that the female prisoner was volatile, especially when they were "working" on the male. Lexi would be, especially now. Their protective instinct for each other after all this time would be even more increased, especially now that they were married. Sentiment often clouded one's judgment. Mycroft was not unaffected now either. He too would protect Joanna first no matter what the costs to himself or to others. He first knew that Joanna was hacking the base when the entire systems shut down. For fifteen minutes no one could get any of the automated systems to work. She was playing a dangerous game but she was also checking response times ad seeing what they would do in situations. The base suddenly came back on a few minutes later. At the time Mycroft was locked in his office as the automatic locks shut him in and he wondered if Joanna knew he would be there and had done it purposefully. He wouldn't put it past her. When he saw her that night she slipped him a piece of paper, stopping him for a second to ask him a random question as they both left the canteen. The message told him that she needed a few more days before they were ready to move forward with their plan.

Over the next few days Mycroft continued to hear a bit of news about Sherlock and Lexi and he even found out where they were being held, in the basement of one of one of the far buildings in the compound. Joanna ran several more drills and on the fourth night two of the officers disappeared from the compound without a trace. Mycroft knew that Joanna had something to do with it but nothing came up. They ran a search for two days but discovered nothing. Low and behold their names came up for promotion and Mycroft was moved to oversee the prisoners who they were trying to get information out of and Joanna was moved to head of security. They still had to be careful and spend as little time together as possible but Joanna did come to see him in his office once. Behind closed doors they were still careful and refrained from talking too much but she did tell him that it was her. Now that they were in about a week into having gotten into the compound the real work began. Joanna would continue to find an opportunity to get them out and Mycroft would have to oversee his brother and Lexi's torture and interrogation. It was not a job he enjoyed. For the most part he sent someone else into do it. He couldn't risk Sherlock or Lexi realizing it was him and letting something out nor could he stand to see them beaten. The first time he had seen them he felt ill, physically ill. He hadn't known exactly what he was expecting to find but it certainly wasn't this.

Sherlock's hair was shaggy and unkempt, he was dirty and his back was covered in torn flesh which he could see as they had only left him in his trousers despite the cold in the room. He was bruised and battered and underneath it all Mycroft could see a mixture of scars and bullet wounds that had healed, the indication of everything that had happened in the last two years to him. Lexi was…her hair was shorter than when she left London, matted and some parts were braided with beads in it. Her face was covered in sickly yellow and black and blue bruises. Lexi was left in only her brassier and her baggy pants, she was thin and he could see the ribs on both of them. She had scars littering her back and arms. The worst was one lower on her abdomen which he was informed she had come in with and that they had been forced to restitch. The skin was scabbed over and inflamed and Mycroft feared it would get infected in these sort of conditions. Her body was covered in bruises like Sherlock's and he could see bullet wounds and old knife injuries as well, more so on her as if she had thrown herself into danger more often than Sherlock had which she probably had to protect him. He noticed that she also had several new tattoos and that their weddings bands were severely dented, dirty, and scratched, but worn proudly.

He had informed Joanna of what he found, steeling her for when she saw them again. She told him that they were all set to move forward with their plan and that she had found a time that they could get them out of there, a window of opportunity, but he would have to get rid of the man inside the room, she would take care of the guard at the door when she came to collect them. They would have a window of fifteen minutes only. Mycroft knew for the plan to work he would have to be inside the room, they had three days until her window of opportunity when the next guard change would be and they would be getting new men in. In the confusion they could get them out through the back gate. Mycroft therefore began to sit in every day and watch as Sherlock and Lexi were tortured repeatedly for information. Lexi would yell at the man in Serbian and fight at her restraints whenever he went at Sherlock but Sherlock would calm her by speaking in Mycroft believed was Gaelic. Then came the time, the time it was supposed to happen and Mycroft waited on baited breath and hoped that Joanna would be alright. She was still over in the security center on the other side of the compound and she would need to get from over there to here to help them out. If anything happened to Joanna he would never be able to forgive himself.

Mycroft sat with his feet propped up on a table, bundled up in the corner as Sherlock cried out as he was struck for the umpteenth time. Mycroft was able to keep from flinching, keeping his facial expressions cold and hard as Lexi murmured something to him quietly in Gaelic. Sherlock was struck again and he groaned in pain and Lexi yelled at them to stop in Serbian. If he could of he would have but calling for an order to stop now would make them question him. Mycroft looked down at his watch and nervously bit his lip. He needed to wait seven more minutes. Joanna needed seven more minutes. The torturer shouted repeatedly at Sherlock whose arms were chained to opposite walls of the small room, forcing him to stay upright today. Lexi was chained next to him in a similar manner and she kept pulling at her restraints as they hit Sherlock. Before that they had been chained to chairs. The men had come to learn to be careful as they approached Lexi and Mycroft had warned them to be wary around her too. She was dangerous even with her hands restrained and she had tried to hit even him one time when he got too close to her. He didn't blame her as she thought that he was one of them. It only took threatening the Sherlock's life to get her to instantly stop. He had made the base medic seen to her injuries and to Sherlock's and when questioned he said that if their injuries became infected they would both get sick and if they died without them getting information out of them the higher ups would not be pleased. He wasn't questioned after that.

Currently Lexi only had a bleeding, split lip and a heavily bruised face. Sherlock reacted more with rage when Lexi was hit, but Lexi reacted more fiercely and struggled to get out of her bonds when the Sherlock was beaten. Mycroft saw a completely different side to his brother when he fought to protect Lexi. Of course he understood exactly how he felt. They were going to start interrogating Lexi again soon until one of them talked, but that wasn't going to happen because they only had five minutes left now. Lexi was fighting to keep her eyes open and she lifted her head though it was difficult to look at Sherlock. Her body was slumped forward in obvious exhaustion and pain. Neither of them had been allowed to sleep for seventy two hours now. Lexi called to Sherlock every time they hit him as if she was murmuring words of comfort or reminders and she spent the rest of the time they worked on him to shout at them in perfect Serbian. Most of it were curses, insults, or threats and she made the other soldiers laugh. She had already cursed their mother's several times over and Mycroft was sure by now that Joanna would take out the guard outside the room with great prejudice as soon as she saw the condition Sherlock and Lexi were in.

"You two broke in here for a reason," The torturer said in Serbian as he picked up a large metal pipe and walked towards Sherlock again, whose face was completely covered by his long straggly hair. Mycroft sat forward a bit in his seat, closing his eyes and breathing in deeply as he was unable to stop this. One wrong move, one mistake and they would all die. He had four minutes left to wait.

"Don't you dare go near him with that!" Lexi yelled at the torturer in Serbian her face a mask of furry and rage as she lunged towards him, stopping when she hit the full extent that her chains would allow her to go. The torturer laughed as Sherlock murmured slightly to her, his voice carrying in the room. Lexi instantly reacted by looking at him and saying something in French. He responded to her calmly and she backed away slightly so that her arms wouldn't be pulled so much by the chains any longer. He told her he would take it but she needed to calm down for him because he needed her to be alright, that they would find a way out together.

"Just tell us why and you two can sleep. Remember sleep?" The torturer continued in Serbian, ignoring what they had said to each other as he drew the pipe over his shoulder and prepared to strike Sherlock. Mycroft angrily set his jaw, looking at his watch, three minutes left now. Joanna had better hurry. Sherlock quietly whispered something and the torturer stopped, lowering the pipe and leaning forward as he heard him. "What?" He asked Sherlock in Serbian and he reached down and pulled his head back by the hair, leaning closer as the prisoner continued to whisper.

"Well? What did he say?" Mycroft asked him, laying on his accent thickly as he let his tone come out cold. Straightening up and releasing the Sherlock's head, the torturer looked down at him in puzzlement.

"He said that I used to work in the navy, where I had an unhappy love affair," The torturer responded to the question Mycroft asked him as Lexi listened to them, lifting her head a bit. Mycroft refrained from rolling his eyes in exasperation. Even in a situation such as this his brother could not stop himself from showing off. It did however get the man to lower the pipe. Two minutes left, maybe they could distract him long enough.

"What?" Mycroft asked again in order to continue the questioning and Lexi said something in the language that the man had used instead of the Serbian that he knew she could at least speak some of. Knowing Lexi she spoke perfect Serbian but she was refraining from showing that she did which was smart. The torturer looked back and relayed her words to Mycroft.

"...that the electricity isn't working in my bathroom; and that my wife is sleeping with our next door neighbour!" The torturer said and he strode over and reached down, pulling Lexi's head up by her hair.

"And?" The torturer asked her in Serbian, but it was Sherlock who replied briefly and the man released Lexi's head.

"The coffin maker!" The torturer shouted as he bent and lifted Sherlock's head with a fist in his hair. "And? And?" The torturer demanded of him, but like before Lexi answered instead. The torturer dropped Sherlock's head and relayed the words Lexi had spoken Mycroft who could only hear them slightly as they were talking lowly.

"If I go home now, I'll catch them at it! I knew it! I knew there was something going on!" The torturer shouted before he stormed out of the room, leaving Sherlock and Lexi slumped in their chains. Mycroft waited for a moment, staring at them as he looked down briefly at his watch. Two minutes. Well, they had gotten rid of the man for him. That was nice, he was not looking forward to having to take him out. That would have require physical activity. He grimaced at that in distain. Joanna would take care of the soldier at the door.

"So, my friends. Now it's just you and me," Mycroft said in Serbian as he took his feet off the table and stood up. He carried on with the rough accent which he was getting accustomed to. His voice would be shot for days once he got back to London. Ghastly, this was why he didn't wade in. All of this had been terrible, the cold, the noise, the people, the food. Not to mention being away from Joanna and the lack of sleep. "You have no idea the trouble it took to find you two," He continued in Serbian and Lexi laughed at him as Mycroft looked down at her.

"Drop the Serbian, your accent is laughable," Lexi said in perfect Serbian and Mycroft walked across the room to her and Sherlock. Sherlock's back was covered in blood and wounds from his beating while Lexi had several bleeding and newly open knife wounds to add to the wounds she had sustained from her own beating. Most of her face was badly bruised and slightly cut and her lip was split as well. Mycroft grabbed a handful of each of their hair, grimacing slightly in disgust at the oily and grimy feel of it and he pulled their heads up a little so they could look at him. Lexi groaned and swore in Serbian as Mycroft leaned in closely between the two of them and reverted back to English.

"Now listen to me. There's an underground terrorist network active in London and a massive attack is imminent. Sorry, but the holiday is over, brother dear," Mycroft said before he turned and looked at the Lexi. "And sister mine. I believe belated congratulations are in order," Mycroft continued before he released the prisoner's heads and straightened up. "Back to Baker Street, Sherlock Holmes and Alexandria MacKenna. Or should I say Alexandria Holmes now?" Mycroft asked the two of them and under the long hair that was draped across each of their faces, the two consulting detectives smiled.

"Holmes," Lexi answered him as Mycroft moved to go and unchain her from the wall. "No, help Sherlock first," She told him and Mycroft paused as Sherlock lifted his head slightly.

"Get her down first Mycroft her injuries are for more serious than mine," Sherlock told his brother who nodded once before he went back to getting Lexi unchained. He had no doubt that if he did not listen to Sherlock that his brother would find a way, despite his condition, to murder him.

"I'm fine. I told you before," Lexi argued back to Sherlock and he chuckled, the sound reverberating off of the walls.

"You are stubborn not fine," Sherlock told her, his tone ending with a note of finality and Mycroft managed to catch Lexi as she stumbled forward when he got one of her arms down. He had her lean against him and he sported her weight as he got her other arm down. Once she was free Mycroft picked Lexi up despite her protests and carried her over to the chair he had been sitting on. He was shocked by just how light she was. She felt like she barely weighed anything. He left her to sit as he went to get Sherlock free.

"I'm Irish, of course I'm stubborn," Lexi told Sherlock, rolling her eyes before she gasped in at the pain as she attempted to move only slightly.

"Xia!" Sherlock said sounding concerned and he found some new strength and managed to move on his own as he frantically got his other arm free that Mycroft was just starting to work on. Mycroft was confused at the name but watched as his brother rushed forward towards Lexi and fell to his knees just before her as he stumbled. "Where?" He asked her as he frantically looked her over and she grabbed his trembling hands, the both of them still shaking from the adrenaline and shock.

"I'm alright my love," Lexi told him and she moved her hands to cup his cheeks and she brushed his hair out of his eyes, looking at his face. She leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lips that were split like hers. Sherlock sighed and deepened the kiss. Mycroft would have been happy for them any other time, he wasn't as cold hearted as people thought, but he was suddenly reminded that he had not kissed Joanna in close to two weeks now due to having had to come rescue Sherlock and Lexi and that Joanna was due to be here any second. In fact, she was late. Where was she? What if she had been caught? Mycroft cleared his throat and Lexi broke away from Sherlock to glare at him. Quite frankly and to put it in Joanna's terms, Mycroft didn't give a fuck. He wanted to know where his fiancée was. "Way to kill the mood," Lexi told Mycroft as she helped Sherlock to his feet. Mycroft shrugged out of his coat and handed it over to her as he noticed her shivering slightly. Lexi slid it on while Sherlock accepted help from Mycroft to stand upright. It was probably the only time his brother would ever willing accept his help. He was still unsteady on his feet as they had been standing without rest for a very long time.

"Hmm, I'm sure. I do think your efforts could best be served in getting out of here however," Mycroft told them, trying to remain calm and level headed. Joanna was fine. She could protect herself. She was only a minute late. Most likely she had gotten slightly detained but she could handle it and she would be here. Lexi rolled her eyes at him and Mycroft fought back the increasing feeling of anxiety and fear that was creeping through his veins. He had to focus.

"What do you suggest than Microsoft? Shezza and I can't get that far on our own and I doubt that you can get us all out of here all by yourself," Lexi told Mycroft, who was once again confused by the odd name, before there was the sound of someone speaking outside the door in Serbian. Lexi looked up as Sherlock looked around for something presumably to use as a weapon. Mycroft however sighed in relief as he heard the unmistakable sounds of a scuffle in the hall. The door was pushed open then and Joanna walked in wearing her fur coat and hat which made her look adorable. She raised her hands from her pockets, grinning at them and he eyes fell on Mycroft and she nodded ever so slightly in a way that Sherlock and Lexi wouldn't be able to pick up.

"And nobody thought to invite me to this party?" Joanna asked them and Mycroft could here by her tone of voice that she was both horrified but what she was seeing and also relieved to see him. Sherlock and Lexi relaxed as Joanna looked at Mycroft and he could see her calming slightly just because she was there with him. Her entire body was tense and he knew that whatever had delayed her had not been good. "We got a window of fifteen guard free minutes to get them both out and my friend is waiting in the truck outside," Joanna informed him and Mycroft nodded before he passed Sherlock off to Joanna. Sherlock was taller than her but she wouldn't be able to carry Lexi who wasn't able to walk on her own. Despite Lexi's protests, Mycroft bent down and picked her up again. "Don't complain. Besides when I'm lazy I force him to carry me. He's used to it," Joanna called back to her as she led Sherlock forward just ahead of them. Mycroft blushed slightly at that remembering all the times Joanna had made him carry her. Some situations had been less than ideal. Lexi looked up him and then smirked, obviously noticing his blush and Mycroft glared down at her murderously. She chuckled slightly before stopping as it jarred her side. Mycroft and Joanna brought them outside to the freezing cold and the two of them managed to get Sherlock and Lexi into the back of a covered truck and set them down amongst a load of blankets together. Once they were secured and hidden, Joanna and Mycroft climbed into the front with Joanna's driver who slowly drove them out of the compound.

It actually worked and they managed to get out of the compound without being stopped but Mycroft shouldn't have been surprised. Mycroft looked over at Joanna as soon as they were sitting together and saw that she was still sitting tensely with her back rigid. He reached across to her and slipped his hand into hers and she jumped roughly. She slowly turned and looked at him and then she flung herself at him as Mycroft opened his arms open for her. Joanna buried her face into his chest and snuggled as close to him as she could as Mycroft held her as tightly to him as he could. He stroked her back and her hair. He whispered to her in French and she slowly raised her head and kissed him fiercely. Mycroft kissed her back just as deeply and with as much need. It felt good to have her in his arms once again. Her body fit inside his arm as if she was made especially for him. They remained together until they made it across the border and into Sophia where they were to take their flight back to London. They were able to do it. They waded in, they made, it and they rescued them and Joanna was safe. Sherlock and Lexi were safely sitting in the back of the plane and they were both sitting in the flight deck, piloting the plane as Joanna didn't trust anyone else right now. She was absolutely beautiful and he was not going to let her go. Two weeks was too long a time without her, two days, two hours, two minutes. Anytime without Joanna made him want to fight to get back to her. Joanna smiled as she looked over at him, the sunlight lighting up the side of her face and Mycroft grinned back at her and reached out for her hand, squeezing it tightly. It wasn't just Sherlock and Lexi's love story any more, he had his own story and as soon as they dealt with the massive attack and anything else anyone tried to throw at him, he would make her Mrs. Holmes. Love was all about finding the calm in the chaos and Joanna was his first luck of the day and his first misery was when she left him, even if it was to walk into another room.


	21. Have You Ever Begged For Mercy?

**Marci my mind went into the gutter again. Just it always does. This is JoCroft. **

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><p>Sherlock and Lexi were sitting in Mycroft's office in the Diogenes club two days after they had gotten them out of Serbia and both of them had been checked out by Mycroft's personal doctor. Some of the results that had some back were less than inspiring. But they knew that two years living and traveling in the sort of conditions they were along with taking our Moriarty's web and sustaining so many injuries was not going to leave them exactly as they were as when they had left London. Mycroft also had Joanna checked out and he had sighed in relief to find that she was perfectly alright. A mild held cold perhaps, but she would get over it quickly now that they we back in London. For the first time in two weeks Mycroft had been able to sleep with Joanna beside him. They had rested for a few short hours before their work had to continue. Two weeks of deep cover and now they were thrown back into the work as London's terror levels were raised to critical. Lexi currently had someone trying to get the rest of the tangles out of her hair now that it had been properly washed and Sherlock was reading the front page headline of a newspaper which read, "SKELETON MYSTERY" as he sat reclined in a barber's chair across the room from Lexi having his face shaved by one of Mycroft's men. Joanna was off in her office having someone see to her. She had needed a bit of care herself after their mission and Anthea was making her sit and warm up as they both knew that she would no doubt throw herself into the work and not care about herself.<p>

Mycroft was exceedingly glad to have Anthea who was like a sister to Joanna now and when needed would go over Joanna's head and force her to sit and take a breather to just drink a cup of tea or eat something or put the computer or mobile down for a minute to rest her eyes. She had been a God send in the last two years at helping him keep Joanna from going insane. Sherlock lowered his paper and folded it as he looked slightly towards Mycroft who was sitting behind his desk, reading a file that Joanna had given him as soon as they had gotten back. He had told her to give it a day to rest but she had refused. She was worried about this terrorist plot. He managed to get her to sleep at least but as soon as she was done with the forced amount of rest she had thrown herself into their current case. He knew that was what she was used to and that was what she was good at but she needed to also think about herself, not just his brother and Lexi and Mycroft was learning that too. Joanna was more important to him now.

"You two have been busy, haven't you?" Mycroft asked his brother and his brother's unofficial wife as the woman working on Lexi's hair started cutting it. Sherlock already had his hair cut back to its normal length which had been the first thing he asked for rather than a shave. Mycroft had gotten a shave right away thought Joanna had commented in passing that she liked the slight bit of stubble. Sherlock's hair was wet and straight and he was starting to look like himself again, but Mycroft could still tell by looking at the both of them that it would be a while until things were back to normal. After all, one only had to look at Lexi to see the bruises on her face. The both of them remained silent as Sherlock tossed his paper onto a nearby trolley. "Quite the busy little bees" Mycroft continued and he chuckled slightly as he thought to Joanna who was more the busy bee, over the last year especially. Ever since Germany she had been more involved with helping them when she could.

"Time does fly when you're having so much fun," Lexi told Mycroft sarcastically as she snorted slightly and drummed her fingers on the arm rests of her chair. Mycroft could deduce the impatience and anxiety coming from both of them, despite the fact that they were in the same room and sitting only feet apart. Sherlock was likewise drumming his fingers on his chair.

Mycroft couldn't blame them. Despite looking calm on the outside he was internally worried and anxious about Joanna, even though he knew that she was only in the room across the hall from his own. They usually worked in the same office unless they needed their own space because it was a very important project. They weren't used to being apart and being apart for two weeks with hardly any contact and the threat of being caught out at any moment and killed had taken its toll on him and certainly had taken its toll on Joanna. She would never admit it to him however as she thought to do so would make her seem week. Mycroft could never understand some of her reasoning's but it was important to her. He therefore would act as if he didn't outwardly notice but he would give her more attention than normal and see to it that she didn't leave his sight for long periods of time. Until she was comfortable once again she would have everything she needed from him.

"And yet you two found the time to wed, even if it isn't official," Mycroft told Lexi, raising his eyebrow as he looked down to their left hands in turn. Lexi's engagement ring which Mycroft had held onto for her while they were gone was now resting on her left ring finger along with her beat up and scratched gold band. They had found out about the unofficial wedding of course. His brother hadn't wanted to tell him but was forced too. It wasn't legal here in England, so as much as they would like to say Lexi was Mrs. Holmes she wasn't at least not yet.

"Why wait? I love Sherlock and I saw no reason in waiting longer to get to call him mine," Lexi told Mycroft with a shrug. All well and good sentimentalities and Mycroft agreed that there was no reason to wait, Joanna and him had their own reasons, but that still didn't make it more official.

"Moriarty's network – took us two years to dismantle it," Sherlock said, breaking the conversation away from their unofficial marriage. Mycroft watched his brother with interest, listening to him carefully.

"His network was a lot larger than we originally thought it was and there were so many loose ends to tie up," Lexi added with a sigh before she grinned as her hair was finally finished. She shook the bits of hair off of her shoulders before standing up and letting her hair fall down around her.

"And you're confident you have?" Mycroft asked them as Lexi grabbed her forest green button down shirt and pulled it over the black tank top she was wearing. They had to be assured that Moriarty's network was completely demolished or else everything would be for naught. They could not return to London, they would have to remain in hiding, if even just one member was alive. Joanna had already told him that if there were any loose ends that needed to be tied up she would go and take care of it. That was not an option. If needed Mycroft might contact two MI6 agents who could take care of the rest of the network. Hailey Smyth and Jack Hartnell were almost classified as rogue agents, but Mycroft had specifically seen to it that they were kept within MI6. Their methods were unorthodox, but they were remarkable as a team. He would not send Joanna out there on her own.

"I'm always confident Mycroft. I believe it's a Holmes' sentimentality," Lexi told Mycroft and he smiled back at her pleasantly. Confidence was a Holmes' sentimentality, one that both Lexi and Joanna possessed. All Holmes' women were strong leaders. Lexi raised her eyebrow at him and Mycroft only sat back in his seat and flicked his eyes to his door, hoping Joanna would join them soon.

"The Serbian side was the last piece of the puzzle," Sherlock told Mycroft as Lexi sat back down as the woman cleared up her stuff and swept the floor before leaving them.

"And the worst of it by far," Lexi added, looking across to Sherlock who flicked his gaze over to her. Out of all Moriarty's connections, the Serbian side of it was the most brutal and that was what Joanna had concurred. She had tracked the network herself, even finding a few of Moriarty's network members in London and disposing of them.

"Yes. You two got yourself in deep there ...," Mycroft said as he checked his report. "...with Baron Maupertuis. Quite a scheme," Mycroft told them and Lexi smirked at him in amusement.

"Colossal," Sherlock told Mycroft and Lexi giggled, snorting slightly.

"Elementary," Lexi told Mycroft and she looked over at Sherlock to see him smirking in amusement.

"Anyway, you two safe now," Mycroft told them as he shut the file, unable to look at it any more. He actually needed Joanna to explain a few things to him that she had found and put into the file as he wasn't quite sure what she meant by them. Sherlock hummed as he flicked his gaze over to Lexi. "A small 'thank you' wouldn't go amiss," Mycroft told them as he looked up at them. Joanna deserved a thank you for all the work she had done and was still doing. Not to mention they had both almost gotten killed and had given up so much of their time to rescue them. Lexi raised her eyebrow at him as she sat with her back straight, being careful to not put much weight on it.

"What for?" Sherlock asked Mycroft who frowned at this comment. Joanna deserved all the thanks they could possibly ever give her. He didn't care so much about himself, of course he his own experience hadn't been the best.

"For wading in," Mycroft told them and Lexi frowned at him as she tilted her head to the side. Sherlock raised a hand to the barber to make him stop shaving him. The man stepped back a little as Lexi got up, knowing what he wanted to do.

"Is that what you did? Joanna yes, but you…," Lexi asked Mycroft, looking at him over her shoulder and he frowned at her in displeasure. Yes, Joanna did a lot of the work, but he did a lot of work too. He risked his life to rescue them as much as Joanna had.

"In case you'd forgotten, fieldwork is not my natural milieu," Mycroft told them as Sherlock grunted in pain as Lexi helped him sit up. He threw a grateful look up at her before Sherlock turned and looked at his brother angrily.

""Wading in"? You sat there and watched us being beaten to a pulp," Sherlock told Mycroft through gritted teeth as he reached for Lexi's hand and held it in his as she stood beside him, looking back at Mycroft passively.

"I got you out," Mycroft told them, frowning indignantly and Lexi snorted at that and rolled her eyes. Mycroft had gotten them out for the most part. It had been a combination of both of their help. Joanna's plan couldn't have worked without him.

"No – we got us out. Why didn't you intervene sooner? If not for me than for Lexi!" Sherlock spat at his brother in anger, his teeth bared, and Lexi reached up to Sherlock's shoulder and touched his cheek once. He calmed down under her touch and he closed his eyes, hissing out a long sigh through his open mouth.

"Well, I couldn't risk giving myself away, could I? It would have ruined everything," Mycroft told them and Lexi scoffed at that and Mycroft looked away from Sherlock and up at her. Did she not understand that one wrong move and they all could have died or if not all of them then he or Joanna could have been killed?

"You could have like I would have been able to. You had Joanna with you and she's my partner in crime. I learnt everything from her Mycroft," Lexi told him as she eyed him darkly. Mycroft sighed slightly, knowing that nothing he said was going to get either of them to believe him.

"You were enjoying it," Sherlock told Mycroft, glowering at him as he tilted his head to the side to watch him.

"Nonsense," Mycroft told them both quickly as he looked at Lexi's raised eyebrow and her current position next to Sherlock. He didn't enjoy it at all, in fact it made him sick to watch it.

"Definitely enjoying it," Sherlock said darkly and Lexi nodded as she tilted her head to the side to regard the man.

"Most certainly," Lexi said as she narrowed her eyes at Mycroft.

"Listen, do you two have any idea what it was like, Sherlock, Lexi, going 'under cover', smuggling my way into their ranks like that? The noise; the people?" Mycroft asked them as he leaned forward and then sat back as the door suddenly opened and Joanna walked in. He relaxed instantly as soon as he saw her. She looked a lot calmer now and she seemed to be feeling better to.

"Don't complain amante," Joanna told Mycroft and he blushed instantly at the name as Joanna shot Lexi a smirk. She was obviously feeling a lot better if she could tease him. Lexi trailed her eyes down to Joanna's left hand and Mycroft knew exactly what she was looking for. "It wasn't that difficult. They were mostly simpleminded and easily fooled," Joanna told Mycroft as she walked over and perched herself on the edge of his desk. Mycroft could see that she was trying to calm him down and let him know that she as alright without alerting Sherlock or Lexi to the fact that she was doing either of the two. She was also telling him not to let on just how difficult it was. "And I see you looking over there shifty eyes," Joanna told Lexi, throwing a look over at her as Lexi shot her a look. Sherlock frowned in confusion, not understanding what they were talking about but Mycroft understood completely as Joanna suddenly held up her left hand and flashed her ring finger at Lexi. "Two years and finally I got him to just bloody ask me," Joanna said before she leaned her head back and looked at a severely blushing Mycroft upside down. Sherlock's eyes widened in shock as Mycroft cleared his throat awkwardly. Discussing his relationship with Joanna with his brother and Lexi was not something he really felt like doing right now.

"Yes, well…," Mycroft said before Lexi darted forward, Joanna meeting her half way, the two women laughing as they hugged each other. "If you could please…," Mycroft tried to rein them in and Joanna looked back at him and rolled her eyes playfully.

"Honey, when do I ever listen to you?" Joanna asked him pointedly and Mycroft sighed at her, smirking ever so slightly and knowing that she needed this little moment with Lexi. Joanna turned back to the Irish girl and smiled at her warmly and in a sisterly fashion.

"Congratulations," Lexi told Joanna and she grinned at her as Sherlock groaned softly behind them as he painfully sank back down in his chair again, the barber resuming his work.

"And to you Mrs. Holmes, even if it isn't officially yet," Joanna told Lexi and the Irish girl laughed, smacking her on the arm playfully. "We're more than a match for them," Joanna told Lexi conspiratorially. "And Mummy has been giving me pointers. Oh I love her. Myc didn't want to go and see her, but that argument ended rather quickly," Joanna told her and she laughed at that as both of the Holmes' boys groaned in unison.

"I didn't know you spoke Serbian," Sherlock said, speaking up over the women and Joanna and Lexi both turned to their men and raised an eyebrow at them as they talked with each other over them.

"I didn't, but the language has a Slavic root, frequent Turkish and German loan words," Mycroft answered Sherlock with a shrug. "Took me a couple of hours," Mycroft finished as he did everything not to meet Joanna's gaze. He didn't want to mention that it was actually her that had taught him. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair as Lexi looked at Sherlock who was staring at the ceiling.

"Hmm – you're slipping," Sherlock told Mycroft as Lexi walked over to him and purposely looked down at him. He flicked his gaze over to her and she smirked at him to let him know that she wasn't angry at him. Sherlock smirked back at her as she patted his hand.

"Middle age, brother mine. Comes to us all," Mycroft said, smiling tightly across to Sherlock as Joanna walked over to his desk, her heels clicking along the floor with each step before she leaned across his desk. Mycroft looked up at her, his eyes following her every movement.

"You'd better not be calling me middle aged," Joanna told Mycroft and he shook his head quickly. She had a playful smirk on her face that neither Sherlock nor Lexi would be able to see and he could tell that she was only teasing him. "That's what I thought," She said and she leaned forward and planted a kiss on Mycroft's lips, the man making a pleasant noise as they kissed for one of the first times in the last two weeks. It came out slightly as a squeak of surprise as he realized at the last minute that Sherlock and Lexi were still in the room. Out of anyone they could possibly display their affections in front of it had to be them. Oh hell, he didn't care anymore. Lexi smirked at them as Sherlock grimaced in disgust. When Joanna and Mycroft broke apart Joanna turned and sat on the edge of his desk, smirking at Lexi as Mycroft blushed brightly over what Joanna had just whispered into his ear, what she was going to do to them as soon as they were alone together again. Mycroft shifted in his chair uncomfortably and looked down as the door opened and Anthea walked into the room. Mycroft cleared his throat and looked up at his PA, glad for the momentary distraction, his cheeks still tinged a bright pink. Anthea held up a dark suit and a white shirt on a hanger to show Sherlock while she held up a pair of black skinny jeans and a beautiful yellow blouse for Lexi. Lexi grinned at Anthea as she smiled back at the Irish girl.

"I got some heels for you too," Anthea told her knowingly and she laughed as she handed her over her clothes.

Joanna pulled Mycroft out into the hallway as soon as Sherlock and Lexi had to start getting dressed and Anthea slipped away back to her office. Mycroft was shocked when he suddenly found his back slammed up against the wall and Joanna's lips insistently on his as she pulled him down to her level, pressing her body up against him. Mycroft reacted in an instant and pulled her closer to him by her waist as Joanna moaned slightly into his mouth which allowed him to slip his tongue into her mouth and tangle with hers. Joanna moved her hands through his hair, playing with the collar of his shirt as he ran his hands up her sides and groaned slightly before pulling away from her lips. She seemed not to mind this as she just pressed kisses up the side of his neck heatedly. He finally got her to calm down and pulled her closer to him, whispering to her quietly. As much as he would love to continue with their current line of inquiry, now was not the moment and they had to focus on getting Sherlock and Lexi back into London.

Mycroft sent Joanna off to help Lexi and Anthea with Lexi's makeup which would hide her bruises while he returned to his office in case his brother needed him. Of course Sherlock refused his help but that was only be expected. Joanna slipped back into the room and over to his side and Mycroft carefully slipped his arm around her waist lightly. Lexi returned with her hair twisted up into a high bun and she was grinning widely. She looked two years older, the same as Joanna and he looked only Joanna would of course always be beautiful no matter how old she was. She had been rather grumpy the day she turned thirty nine, but Mycroft had shown her just how much he didn't care that she was a year older. She had yet to turn forty yet, but Mycroft knew that she was slightly terrified of turning forty. He was forty- three now and feeling his age more every day. That was what was making him think more and more of marriage. Neither of them were going to get any younger and Mycroft had never thought about having a family before but now with Joanna he was actually thinking about it. Of course he had never discussed with Joanna if she actually wanted to be a mother. They had been very, very careful that there were no accidents or surprises as a child now would not be ideal.

Mycroft was brought back to the current conversation as Sherlock was tucking his shirt into his trousers while he looked at himself in a large mirror on the wall. Lexi came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist as Joanna leaned in closer to his side. Sherlock turned and smirked down at Lexi as she gave him a saucy grin. Mycroft sighed slightly in exasperation. Dear Lord, could his brother not keep his bloody hands to himself? It wasn't as if they were teenagers, they were adults. Mycroft rolled his eyes and looked down at Joanna who was grinning up at him with a similar saucy expression on her face and she suddenly wiggled her eyebrows at him in a suggestive manner. Mycroft flushed slightly as he thought about how she had attacked him the hallway. The both of them were standing with Anthea by his brother and Lexi and he could not be thinking about this now. Not here where his brother could deduce what he was thinking about. Mycroft grimaced slightly, trying to control himself and keep his mind from wandering.

"I need you two to give this matter your full attention, Sherlock, Lexi. Is that quite clear?" Mycroft asked them, trying to get down to the work as he also tried to ignore Joanna who was making bedroom eyes at him out of the corners of his eyes. He was going to punish her for that later. She knew….She was doing this on purpose because Sherlock was here and she was also trying to distract him.

"What do you think of this shirt?" Sherlock asked Lexi and she gestured for him to turn around. He did and she moved her arms from his waist to wrap them around his neck. He shivered slightly as she made him bend down and she put her mouth near his ear.

"I would have you right here on Mycroft's desk until you begged for mercy twice," Lexi whispered to Sherlock just loud enough that it carried over to Mycroft and the two women. Sherlock made a choking sound as he pulled back from Lexi slightly to find her grinning mischievously up at him. His cheeks were tinged a bright pink that went down his neck and up to the tips of his ears.

"Lexi!" Mycroft spluttered in exasperation and Lexi ignored him still. Mycroft however was even more scandalized as Joanna pulled him down to her and her warm breath tickled his ear as she leaned in closer to him to whisper into his eat.

"Hmm is that before or after I make you beg for mercy twice on your desk?" Joanna asked him and Mycroft spluttered as he straighten up again and Joanna smirked at him mischievously as he glared down at her.

"I've never begged for mercy in my life," Sherlock told Lexi, his cheeks still pink as he raised his hands and put them on Lexi's waist, Mycroft no longer paying attention to his brother and Lexi as Joanna walked her fingers up the lapels of his jacket.

"I was starting to miss your suits," Joanna told him quietly as she made the bedroom eyes at him again with an evil smirk on her face. Anthea was smirking at the both of them, looking only slightly uncomfortable. The girls however ganged up on him constantly.

"Hmm, I think I can convince you too, twice mind you," Lexi told Sherlock and he chuckled, the sound rumbling low in his chest before he pulled her into a tight hug.

"We'll find your underground terror cell, Mycroft," Sherlock said, addressing his brother over the top of Lexi's head, Mycroft's facial expression still slightly scandalized by what Joanna was saying. "Just put us back in London. We need to get to know the place again, breathe it in – feel every quiver of its beating heart," Sherlock said as Lexi pulled back from him and started fixing his shirt for him, brushing his shoulders down.

"Oooh it's sexy when you talk like that," Lexi told Sherlock and he jumped slightly in surprise when she wrapped her arm around his waist, squeezing his bum before she did so. Sherlock shot a look down to Lexi as his cheeks grew red again and she blinked her eyes slowly as she flashed him an innocent look. Joanna looked at Lexi and waggled her eyebrows suggestively and Lexi smirked back at her before looking up at Mycroft pointedly. Joanna shrugged at Lexi before they sent identical grins to one another. It was their job to embarrass the men they loved, especially in front of each other.

"One of our men died getting this information. All the chatter, all the traffic, concurs there's going to be a terror strike on London – a big one," Anthea told the two detectives, trying to get them to focus on something other than each other and realize the seriousness of this case. Joanna put a hand on her arm to calm her down, knowing that the woman was getting mildly upset since she was the one who had seen how much work Joanna and Mycroft had put into getting them out of Serbia and were still putting in now to discover this discover this terrorist plot.

"I told you honey, I'm monitoring it for now and I've got my partner in crime back so it's pretty much already taken care of," Joanna told Anthea calmly in order to remind her that she had it covered and Anthea nodded back at her, sighing slowly.

"And what about John Watson?" Sherlock asked Mycroft and Joanna as he put his suit jacket on. Once it was on Lexi grinned and pulled him down by the lapels of his jacket to kiss him soundly. He made a sound of pleasure and deepened the kiss, not even caring that his brother was in the room any more apparently. Anthea threw an exasperated glance towards Mycroft and Joanna and Joanna shook her head at them and smirked slightly.

"Oi, randy teenagers!" Joanna said, snapping her fingers and Sherlock and Lexi broke apart, the both of them blushing now. "Save that for your flat, we were trying to talk about John not about how much you two want to shag each other," Joanna told them and Lexi rolled her eyes at her. Joanna couldn't be overly sympathetic since she currently wanted nothing more than to take Mycroft home with her, but she was still here because Sherlock and Lexi needed them.

"Sorry were you talking about us or you and Mycroft?" Lexi asked Joanna and Joanna raised her eyebrow back at Lexi and smirked as Mycroft spluttered and his cheeks got very red again.

"I'll concede to both of us. Now, John," Joanna said slyly, getting them back onto the subject that they were actually supposed to be talking about.

"Mmm," Sherlock hummed, his cheeks still a bright red. "Have you seen him?" Sherlock asked Mycroft his voice slightly high for a second before it went back to normal. He deliberately stood an inch apart from Lexi and tried not to touch her in any way, but that lasted all of two seconds before he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Oh, yes – we meet up every Friday for fish and chips!" Mycroft told them sarcastically regaining his composure quite quickly and he gestured to Anthea, who handed Sherlock a folder that Joanna had put together over the many months of keeping an eye on John and making sure he didn't do anything stupid in their absence. "We've kept a weather eye on him, of course," Mycroft told them as Sherlock removed his hand from Lexi's waist and opened the file. Inside there were two black and white surveillance photos of John and a printed report underneath. Lexi gasped slightly as she saw him for the first time in two years. "You two haven't been in touch at all, to prepare him?" Mycroft asked them curiously and Lexi shook her head.

"No," Sherlock told Mycroft distractedly as he looked at the picture of John with his new moustache which Joanna laughed at every time she saw and made Mycroft promise he would never grow one which was an easy promise to make to her.

"And what would we tell him? He would never believe us over a phone call. To him, he saw us die. He needs to see us alive and breathing and reasonably well before he'll accept that we are actually alive," Lexi told Mycroft as Sherlock got her attention and pointed down to John's picture. Lexi made a face as he pointed out John's new addition.

"Well, we'll have to get rid of that," Sherlock told Lexi and she nodded, humming in agreement.

"His furry little friend. Promise me…," Lexi started as she looked up at Sherlock and he cut her off before she could even finish that sentence.

"Obviously," Sherlock told her with a smirk as Mycroft cut in to their conversation before they could get carried away again.

""We,"" Mycroft said and Lexi nodded at him, flicking her gaze up to him before she looked back at the file.

"He looks ancient. We can't be seen to be wandering around with an old man," Sherlock told Lexi and he closed the file and dropped it onto the desk.

"You get the razor and shaving cream, I'll tackle him and hold him down," Lexi told Sherlock and he nodded at her in agreement.

"I think we'll surprise John. He'll be delighted!" Sherlock said as he straightened his suit jacket and Lexi frowned.

"Lock that might not be such a good idea," Lexi told Sherlock as Joanna nodded in agreement with her before she tilted her head to the side thoughtfully and pulled a face, scrunching up her nose slightly in that way that was adorable.

"You think so?" Mycroft asked Sherlock, smiling cynically.

"Hmm. We'll pop into Baker Street. Who knows – jump out of a cake," Sherlock said and Lexi laughed as Joanna snorted and raised her eyebrow slightly beside Mycroft.

"As long as it's the right cake. Don't need to pull a Rory's stag party," Lexi told Sherlock, making a Doctor Who reference and Sherlock rolled his eyes at Lexi as Joanna sighed in exasperation. Mycroft slowly rubbed her back and she looked up at him and blinked slowly.

"Baker Street? He isn't there anymore," Mycroft told his brother and Lexi with a frown and Sherlock and Lexi looked round at him in surprise. How could they really expect John to not move on with his life and wait around for two people he thought were dead? "Why would he be? It's been two years. He's got on with his life," Mycroft informed them and Lexi nodded at that thoughtfully.

"He's seen the video I left him then. Good, I dropped some subtle hints that might subconsciously prepare him," Lexi told Mycroft who frowned at her in confusion while Joanna hummed lowly beside him thoughtfully.

"What life? We've been away," Sherlock asked Mycroft, glancing over Lexi's comment as if he was ignoring it, but from the look he gave her Mycroft knew that he would probably ask her a few questions about it later. Mycroft rolled his eyes without actually rolling them and Joanna leaned over and smacked him on the head for being rude. He threw a dark look at her, but backed down as soon as she raised her eyebrow at him. He didn't exactly want to get on her bad side, especially now. "Where's he going to be tonight?" Sherlock asked Mycroft as Joanna crossed her arms and looked at Mycroft as if just asking for him to say something about her hitting him.

"How would I know?" Mycroft asked Sherlock, throwing him a dirty look as he rubbed the back of his head angrily. Joanna had a habit now of hitting him on occasion if she thought he was getting out of line or being rude and he was sure she had picked the bad habit up from Lexi.

"You always know," Sherlock quipped back and Lexi nodded her head at Joanna.

"And if you don't know Joanna will," Lexi said and Joanna grinned and nodded her head.

"Of course sweetie. I figured you two would ask about him first thing so I did a little hacking," Joanna said, lifting her thumb and index finger and pinching them closely together to show how much. Mycroft snorted slightly as he looked round at her. It was never just a little hacking when it came to Joanna. Last time she told him she had done a little hack he had the Prime Minister of Norway on the phone with him because some parts of his government were shut down all because their ambassador annoyed her. "John has a dinner reservations in the Marylebone Road. It's a nice restaurant. Mycroft and I have been there before. They have a few bottles of the 2000 Saint-Emilion ... though I prefer the 2001," Joanna said, looking sidelong at Mycroft who blushed slightly as he was reminded of the fact that it was their wine and one of the reasons they had gotten together in the first place. They had celebrated their engagement once Joanna had gotten out of the hospital at the Marylebone Road with a lovely bottle, or two, of the 2001 Saint- Emilion which led to a rather pleasant evening.

"I think maybe we'll just drop by," Sherlock said, looking over at Lexi and raising his eyebrow questioningly.

"It's been a while since we've gotten to have a nice dinner together," She mused and Sherlock smirked back at her as she grinned up at him. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to the top of her head and she giggled as Joanna huffed impatiently beside him.

"You know, it is just possible that you won't be welcome," Mycroft told them both and Lexi looked back at him, nodding slightly.

"No it isn't," Sherlock told Mycroft quickly, assuredly and Mycroft sighed ever so slightly. "Now, where are they?" Sherlock asked Mycroft demandingly.

"Where's what?" Mycroft asked him, raising his eyebrow and playing like he had no clue at all about what he was asking for.

"You know what," Sherlock snapped back at Mycroft and Anthea reappeared in the open doorway, having left a few moments before after Sherlock and Lexi's snogging had gotten to her. She held up Sherlock's Belstaff coat and Lexi's grey coat, their exact coats that they had left behind two years ago. Anthea handed Lexi's coat off to Joanna and Sherlock smiled in delight and slid his arms into the sleeves as Anthea lifted it into position. Joanna did the same for Lexi and she breathed in deeply, as Anthea and Joanna popped the collars of their coats. Lexi looked across to Sherlock and grinned at him happily.

"Welcome back, Mr. Holmes," Anthea told Sherlock as Joanna grinned at Lexi.

"And Mrs. Holmes," Joanna told Lexi with a conspiratorial grin and Mycroft sighed behind them.

"Thank you ...," Sherlock told Joanna and Anthea as he and Lexi pulled the collar tips of their coats into a better position. "...blud," Sherlock finished sarcastically as he looked at Mycroft. Sherlock reached for Lexi's hand next and she grabbed it and smiled up at him. She took a deep breath and nodded once before they left through Mycroft's office finally leaving the British Government alone with his fiancée and his PA.

"Well, John is going to kill them," Joanna said as soon as they had left through the door and Mycroft hummed as she turned back to them.

"I would expect nothing less, especially after everything that has happened," Mycroft told her and Joanna nodded as she walked over to him and slipped her arms around his waist, laying her head down on his chest.

"Mr. Holmes, Ms. Reyer," Anthea said and Mycroft looked over at his PA as Joanna lifted her head so that she could look back over her shoulder to look at Anthea.

"How many times do I have to tell you sweetie? It is Joanie or Joanna," Joanna reminded Anthea who nodded and sighed deeply.

"Joanna then," Anthea said, smiling lightly as she looked at them. "I scheduled dinner reservations in an hour for the both of you at the French restaurant you like near your house. I thought a proper meal might be greatly appreciated after the last two weeks," Anthea said giving them both a pointed look and Mycroft nodded in agreement humming lightly.

"Very much so, thank you Anthea. You may go home," He told her as he wrapped his arm tighter around Joanna's waist.

"Thank you sir," Anthea said, nodding at the both of them. "Good night," She told them before she left them and Joanna turned and looked up at Mycroft smiling lightly and Mycroft bent down to kiss her lightly.

"Have I told you yet how beautiful you look today?" Mycroft asked her as he led her over to his desk and she perched herself on the corner of it again.

"I don't believe so no," Joanna said before she pulled him down by his tie and kissed him soundly with a sinful smirk on her face.

"You are in a lot of trouble," Mycroft scolded her as they broke apart and she raised her perfectly arched eyebrow at him.

"Oh am I Mr. Holmes?" She asked him with a slightly laugh. "That will never do," She remarked as she unbuttoned his suit jacket.

"We have reservations in an hour," Mycroft reminded her and Joanna smiled up at him and pulled him closer by his tie so that he was forced to place his hands on either side of her legs and brace himself on his desk so as not to fall over on top of her as he looked her in the eyes.

"We have plenty of time amante and Lexi did give me such as good idea. Tell me, have you ever begged for mercy before?" Joanna asked him as she kissed the side of his cheek close to his ear and Mycroft shivered lightly before clearing his throat as he tried to keep control of the situation.

"Never," Mycroft told her and Joanna got that sinful smirk on her face again as she pushed him back by his shoulder and turned him around so it was him that was pinned to his desk by her body and she turned a heated gaze on him.

"Well you're about to…twice," Joanna told him and Mycroft gulped as Joanna pulled him towards her and attacked his mouth. Certainly some days he didn't feel his age at all.


	22. I'm Not Lonely Sherlock

Mycroft was sitting in his brother's living room, too far away from Joanna in his opinion as she sat idly across from Lexi at the dining table on her laptop, currently doing work with Lexi that involved, if he could see properly, hacking into places she and certainly Lexi had no reason to be. It had only been a day and so far as they had predicted, John Watson had plainly told them to, as Joanna had put it, fuck off. It was to be expected however after everything they had put him through. Caring wasn't an advantage after all, though Mycroft had to redefine that sentence to be caring wasn't an advantage unless it was to care about your other half. Due to the army doctor's dismissal, his brother and Lexi were throwing themselves into the case they had given them. This was of course good news for them, but also slightly concerning as his brother could become manic when he was trying to distract himself with a case.

"London. It's like a great cesspool into which all kinds of criminals, agents and drifters are irresistibly drained," Sherlock said, peering at the wall behind the couch to which he had tacked up all manners of papers, pictures, and what looked like string, linking some of them together in a manner that his landlady might possibly protest to, before he stepped onto the sofa to get a better look at the connections he and Lexi had made so far. He wore his red dressing gown over his clothes as Lexi wore his blue dressing gown.

"Cesspool. Brilliant description of our city love," Lexi told Sherlock and Joanna laughed from where she sat across from Lexi at the dining table. Mycroft caught her eye and she shook her head at him lightly and rolled her eyes playfully in a way that made him smirk slightly behind his brother's back.

"I'd call New York a cesspool, not London," Joanna commented and Lexi nodded at her in agreement with a grin.

"Sometimes it's not a question of 'Who?'; it's a question of 'Who Knows?'" Sherlock continued and Joanna snorted lightly as she looked up from her laptop again and flicked a gaze over at Mycroft, raising her eyebrow before she shot a questioning gaze at his brother.

"Or 'Who Cares?'" Joanna commented sarcastically and Mycroft bit back a chuckle, but smirked at her as Sherlock looked over his shoulder at her to roll his eyes in exasperation. She shrugged at him before going back to doing whatever she was doing.

"If this man cancels his papers ...," Sherlock said, pointing to the picture on the wall that one of the members of his Homeless Network had taken of a man eating a sandwich and sent to him. "...We need to know," Sherlock said as Joanna raised her eyebrow at him and sent a questioning look at Mycroft. "If this woman leaves London without putting her dog into kennels, we need to know," Sherlock continued as he pointed to the second picture that a member of his Homeless Network had sent him which he had pinned to the wall. "There are certain people – they are markers. If they start to move, we'll know something's up – like rats deserting a sinking ship," Sherlock finished, stepping off of the couch and up and over the coffee table before he went back over to his chair, sitting down.

'_Is he mental? Like actually mental? Markers? How is that going to tell us if something is suddenly up?'_ Joanna asked Mycroft with just a look, a new thing they had found they could do since Joanna developed the ability to deduce. She had surprised him and Anthea one day when she had made a simple deduction about their PA.

'_Possibly I never can tell with my brother. You look very beautiful,'_ Mycroft told her and Joanna smiled slightly as she looked at him and shook her head lightly.

'_You're too far way,'_ Joanna complained as she made a slight face that neither his brother or Lexi would notice as they were always either too focused on each other or were currently too focused on the case.

'_Come over here then,'_ Mycroft told her before he turned and looked at his brother. "All very interesting, Sherlock, but the terror alert has been raised to Critical," Mycroft said as Lexi turned and looked back at him. He was sitting in what used to be John's chair and Sherlock sat back in his own seat, making his next move on the game they were playing. Joanna and Lexi looked at each other and rolled their eyes in unison before grinning.

"And my exasperation level has risen to critical levels too Mycroft," Lexi told him and he pointedly rolled his eyes at the Irish girl.

"Boring," Sherlock told Mycroft in reference to the terror alert. "Your move," Sherlock told Mycroft as Joanna and Lexi shook their heads in unison. Lexi was sitting closer to Sherlock so her back was to the both of them, but Joanna was positioned so that she could watch Mycroft as she would rather be sitting farther away from him if it meant she could still see him. She was also making eyes at him and making faces with the more things Sherlock and Lexi said.

"We have solid information. An attack is coming," Mycroft told the two detectives as he glanced down to make his move. Lexi got up and crossed over to Sherlock's chair behind her and perched on the arm of his seat. He wrapped his arm around her waist before pulling her down onto his lap. She giggled as he smirked down at her and let her right herself so that she was sitting more comfortably. Lexi tucked her feet into the space between his leg and the arm of the chair as he held onto her tightly. Mycroft grimaced slightly before looking up at Joanna and silently asking her to come over to join him, but she shook her head at him slightly and shot a look over at Sherlock and Lexi telling him that it wouldn't be such a good idea with his brother there. Joanna wiggled her eyebrows at Lexi suggestively when the girl shot her a look to cover up the facial expression she was just making.

"Not exactly Mycroft. You don't really have "solid information." You know that a secret terrorist organisation is planning an attack and that is what secret terrorist organizations do. It's their version of golf. They want to breed fear and panic and you are giving that to them right now. There are thousands of terrorist organizations around the world, several of which Sherlock and I heard whispers about. You need us to find which one it is and who their leader is. Knowing that there might or might not be an attack isn't going to help anything," Lexi told Mycroft as Sherlock played with her hair and Mycroft looked back at the both of them in annoyance at the fact that Joanna was refusing to come over because they were both in the room. Mycroft still had an aversion to personal displays of affection but he also felt the need somehow to prove to his brother that he too had found someone that wanted to be around him. Joanna however felt slightly uncomfortable only around Sherlock and Lexi, though she was normally fine around everyone else.

"An agent gave his life to tell us that," Mycroft told them coldly and Joanna cleared her throat to remind him that it wasn't their fault and that he needed to be nice. Mycroft flicked his gaze over to Joanna and she raised her eyebrow back at him.

'_Calm down. I'm just not feeling comfortable with them scrutinizing everything. Lexi will be fine with it, but I know he will just tease you,'_ Joanna told him and Mycroft gritted his teeth. What they did shouldn't be delegated by his brother. If he wanted to sit with his fiancée than he should, but he would respect Joanna's decision on the matter and would say nothing more on the matter.

"Oh, well, perhaps he shouldn't have done. He was obviously just trying to show off," Sherlock said and Mycroft held back an exasperated sigh, but Joanna caught his eye and made a smacking gesture behind Sherlock and Lexi's heads which forced him to bite back a grin.

"And that isn't our fault. We've been back in London for barely a full day Mycroft. We've already set up markers around the city in that amount of time and I'm monitoring all of the available channels. Don't expect us to find something for you in five minutes that you haven't found yourself yet," Lexi told Mycroft, raising her eyebrow at him pointedly. Joanna snorted lightly before she shook her head and continued to type rapidly for a moment. She then lifted her laptop and turned it around to show him a map that showed one of their other projects they were working on. Mycroft nodded at her and she quickly turned it back before Sherlock or Lexi could see it. She continued typing, working on more than one project at once as they talked.

"None of these markers of yours is behaving in any way suspiciously?" Mycroft asked them as he glanced down again and made a move. "Your move," Mycroft told Sherlock and Sherlock groaned, not wanting to move from his current position.

"Not yet, but I'm watching them from CCTV's, hacking into all of their records, and we've got our Homeless Network out watching them for us. If they so much as spit we'll know," Lexi told Mycroft, glancing to Joanna who nodded at her in agreement as she looked up from her laptop. She and Lexi had been setting up their system for the last hour or so since she and Mycroft had arrived at his brother and Lexi's flat. Anything that was remotely suspicious would be caught immediately or at least that was the thought.

"You have to trust us," Sherlock told his brother before he glanced at Lexi and gestured to their game, wanting her to take his turn for him. Lexi sighed and reached forward to make her move for him. "We'll find the answer. It'll be in an odd phrase in an online blog, or an unexpected trip to the countryside, or a misplaced Lonely Hearts ad," Sherlock said and Lexi grinned at that as she finally made her or at least Sherlock's move for him.

"Your move," Lexi told Mycroft who looked at her irritatedly that she had moved for Sherlock. Mycroft glanced down briefly, sighing a bit as he flicked his eyes over to Joanna who raised her eyebrow at him and then pulled a face and rolled her eyes, shaking her head a bit at the detective's. Mycroft bit back a smirk at her antics before raising his eyes to Sherlock and Lexi again.

"I've given the Prime Minister my personal assurance you're on the case," Mycroft told them and Lexi rolled her eyes and made a sound of exasperation.

"Well, thanks for asking us first," Lexi told Mycroft as she raised her eyebrow at him. "We just got back from being tortured in Serbia and before that we were dismantling Moriarty's web. We deserve a bit of a break after all of that, but we are on the case right now. We can't do anything until one of the markers makes a move or I do something rather brilliant and figure something out. Right now I needed more data which means we wait," Lexi told Mycroft as Joanna left off her work and got up so she could perch on the arm of Mycroft's chair, finally getting over her aversion to sitting close to him because of Sherlock and Lexi. Mycroft flicked his gaze up to her and his shoulders relaxed slightly now that she was near him again. He placed his hand on the small of her back and rubbed small circles onto it comfortingly, in a manner that would not be easily detected by his brother or Lexi and seen as overly sentimental.

"We're all on the case. Look at us right now," Sherlock added as on the table in between them, there was a loud buzzing and a red light flashed.

"Oh, bugger!" Mycroft swore and he angrily dropped the small tweezers he was using in their game of "Operation". He had been so concentrated on Joanna and seeing to her that he had lost his concentration slightly on taking his turn. Of course he would always see to Joanna's needs first and whatever and whoever else could as Joanna often said, fuck off. Though Mycroft tried to curb Joanna's use of vulgarity he often found it endearing how she spoke her mind and didn't care what other's might think of her.

"Oopsie!" Sherlock said as Mycroft returned the piece to the board. "Can't handle a broken heart – how very telling," Sherlock continued, looking at which piece Mycroft had failed to remove successfully. He looked smug as he sat back in his chair, pulling Lexi with him as Joanna made a huffing sound beside Mycroft and Mycroft rubbed her back a little more. He knew that she would never attack his brother, but she didn't like anyone making any comments about him.

"Don't be smart," Mycroft told Sherlock in exasperation as he narrowed his eyes slightly at his brother for upsetting Joanna. Not that his brother would realize that he had or even Lexi.

"That takes me back," Sherlock told his brother before he continued in a little boy's voice ""Don't be smart, Sherlock. I'm the smart one,""

"I am the smart one," Mycroft said, glowering at him and Sherlock looked off to the side reflectively.

"Boys!" Joanna and Lexi said in unison and both brothers glared at each other for a long moment before breaking eye contact as the girls looked to their respective fiancés and raised their eyebrows at them. Joanna gave him a reproachful look to let him know that she was alright and now was not the time to start fighting with his brother. He tried to protest that Sherlock had upset her and she raised her eyebrow at him higher which quieted any argument he might have had.

"No fighting or we'll call Mummy," Lexi told them both which really was a threat and they both shifted uncomfortably. Mycroft did not want his mother anywhere near Joanna. The two of them got along a little too well which was what he had been afraid of.

"And she loves us both. Future daughter in laws trump sons," Joanna told the both of them warningly before she and Lexi looked at each other and rolled their eyes in unison before shaking their heads.

"I used to think I was an idiot," Sherlock commented quietly and Lexi looked at him and shook her head as he avoided eye contact with her. Joanna made a slightly face and Mycroft bit back a smirk at that.

"Both of us thought you were an idiot, Sherlock. We had nothing else to go on 'til we met other children," Mycroft told Sherlock and Joanna gave him a slight warning look. Mycroft winced ever so slightly, rubbing her back lightly and finding his way up to her hair, playing with the ends of it lightly and giving one curl a light tug and she softened her gaze.

"Oh, yes. That was a mistake," Sherlock said, agreeing with his brother which was rare.

"Don't even remind me," Lexi told them, crinkling my nose in distaste. Meeting other children was such a lovely experience.

'_Meeting other children, brilliant idea they had. They all hated me I think. I wasn't exactly normal,'_ Joanna mused silently as she flicked a look down at Mycroft and he hummed quietly to her in agreement. What had they been thinking?

"Ghastly. What were they thinking of?" Mycroft asked Sherlock, voicing his and Joanna's opinions aloud as he grimaced and sat back in his chair, removing his hand from Joanna's hair as she played with her fingers a bit and Mycroft caught her messing with her engagement ring a bit which she always did when she was feeling overly affectionate.

"Probably something about trying to make friends," Sherlock told Mycroft, nodding slightly.

"Oh yes. Friends. Of course, you go in for that sort of thing now," Mycroft said, saying the word friends as if it was a dirty word as he looked across at his brother and Lexi.

"And you don't? Ever?" Sherlock asked Mycroft, looking at him closely as Lexi raised her eyebrow at him.

"If you seem slow to me, Sherlock, can you imagine what real people are like? I'm living in a world of goldfish," Mycroft said as Lexi kissed Sherlock's forehead before she stood up. His eyes followed her as she walked across the living room and grabbed her mobile off of the coffee table and started texting on it. It was an action Mycroft also did whenever Joanna moved away from him in a room. Sherlock steepled his fingers in front of him and looked at his brother in interest, flicking his eyes over to Joanna.

"You've gone fishing apparently," Lexi commented as she looked up from her phone and gestured to Joanna with her free hand.

"I'll try to not take offense to that honey," Joanna told Mycroft and he looked up at her sharply, his gaze softening a bit.

"I never meant… you're a different sort of goldfish," Mycroft told her softly, trying to correct what he said and Joanna reached up and patted his cheek affectionately, smirking at him.

"I know honey, I just like fucking with you… and fucking you but that is another matter entirely," Joanna told him suggestively, winking slightly at him and Sherlock smirked as Mycroft made a strangled noise and his cheeks reddened brightly. Apparently she had gotten over her aversion completely and had gotten into her typically teasing side that she was used to around Anthea.

"Change the subject – now!" Mycroft told Joanna, looking appalled and he stood up and walked over to the fireplace to put some distance between himself and her, knowing that if he remained near her she would either keep whispering suggestive comments to him or she would either crawl into his lap.

"Don't get your kickers in a twist Mycroft, that's Joanna's job," Lexi told him and he shot her a murderous glare as Joanna laughed cheerfully. Sherlock still looked rather smug over the fact that they were both ganging up on him and attempting to embarrass him instead.

"Rest assured, Mycroft – whatever this underground network of yours is up to, the secret will reside in something seemingly insignificant or bizarre," Sherlock told Mycroft as Lexi came to sit with Sherlock again and put her mobile down in her lap. Mycroft looked over at Joanna who was making eyes at him again, bedroom eyes. He quickly looked away from her, trying to ignore her. Since their return to London from Serbia it was as if she couldn't keep her hands to herself. He wasn't necessarily complaining, but in some situations such as when he was with his brother it wasn't proper.

"Which happens to be our speciality," Lexi told Mycroft as Mrs. Hudson, carrying a tray of tea things, walked into the room with her traditional "Ooh-ooh!"

"Speaking of which ...," Mycroft said as his blush calmed down and Sherlock and Lexi smiled.

"I can't believe it. I just can't believe it! Them – sitting in their chair again!" Mrs. Hudson said happily, putting the tray on the dining table before she looked at Mycroft. "Oh, isn't it wonderful, Mr Holmes?" Mrs. Hudson asked him before she sent a smile to Joanna who she had liked as soon as she met her. Of course Mycroft couldn't be surprised, Joanna was after all quite likeable when she wasn't attempting to scare members of other governments or members of Parliament.

"I can barely contain myself!" Mycroft told Mrs. Hudson sarcastically, not that she noticed. Joanna raised her eyebrow at him however and pursed her lips slightly.

"Oh, he really can, you know," Sherlock told Mrs. Hudson and Joanna laughed at that, a sight which Mycroft always loved to see. Joanna had a bright laugh that was almost bell like, light and airy and just reminded him how beautiful it was when she sang.

"He's secretly pleased to see you underneath all that ...," Mrs. Hudson told the boys, trailing off and pulling a sour face.

"Ha, you've captured him perfectly Mrs. H," Joanna giggled as she looked at Mycroft and made a face at him before blowing him a kiss. He glanced at her and sighed slightly, shaking his head minutely.

'_Smile every so often love, not just around me,'_ Joanna told him with a soft look and Mycroft looked up and then down in a semblance of a nod that wouldn't be caught by anyone else before looking over at his brother's landlady.

"Sorry – which of us?" Mycroft asked Mrs. Hudson as he shot another look at Joanna who was eyeing him with a smirk on her face still.

"Both of you," The three women said in unison before they shared a look. Mrs. Hudson left the room then as Lexi got up and Joanna joined her at the dining table as they looked over their CCTV feeds momentarily. Joanna looked over her shoulder for a second and nodded at him slightly.

'_Operation Blue Skies is go,'_ She told him, referencing their own project they were working on. Mycroft and Joanna had decided that it wasn't just good enough that the Serbian half of Moriarty's network had been taken out. Therefore they had sent in Agents Smyth and Hartnell to shut down the compound for good.

"Let's play something different," Sherlock told his brother suddenly, drawing his attention away from Joanna as Lexi looked up at him and shook her head at him fondly.

"Why are we playing games?" Mycroft asked his brother with an exasperated sigh as he threw a look at Joanna. They should be looking for the terrorist cell, not playing games.

"This is already a game to you two. We're just having a bit of fun," Joanna told Mycroft with a pointed look and he rolled his eyes at her as she smirked ever so slightly back at him.

"Well, London's terror alert has been raised to Critical," Sherlock said as he flailed his legs over the table in front of him and stood up. "We're just passing the time. Let's do deductions," Sherlock said as he walked over to the dining table and picked up a woollen bobble hat which had earflaps and a dangly woollen pom pom hanging from each flap. "Client left this while we were out," Sherlock told Mycroft and Lexi looked up at that and hummed in agreement as Mycroft watched Joanna look over at it and tilt her head to the side thoughtfully as she narrowed her eyes and scanned it. He never ceased to be amazed with what she had learnt just by watching him. She was seeing what she could infer from it, out of curiosity more than anything else.

"Yeah, it seems like we're more popular now that we're the detectives who died and came back to life then we were before," Lexi told Mycroft and Joanna shrugged at her slightly.

Of course, the dead detectives risen from the grave would only create a media frenzy and bring in more clients. There would also be those who would want to kill them again. Mycroft could already see the work that this would mean before. Before Lexi and Sherlock's departure he used to have certain people in place to add a sense of security to the flat. Joanna's own surveillance had picked up no less than twenty seven assassins before even the Fall, all of whom were dealt with before they even made it to their flat. On some of those occasions Agents Hartnell and Smyth had taken care of them, twice Joanna had, and the rest of the time it had been Mycroft's men. Now he would have to set up surveillance once again to make sure no one attempted to kill his brother and Lexi for a second time. Once was more than enough and this time it didn't need to be for real.

"What d'you reckon?" Sherlock asked Mycroft as he tossed the hat to his brother.

"I'm busy," Mycroft told him as he caught it gingerly. He was in fact very busy. He and Joanna should be getting back to their office to oversee their current projects, they had paperwork they had to see to due to the fact they had been gone for two weeks, several meetings they needed to attend, and several members of Parliament wanted to see him and thus they would be seeing the both of them. That was the way it worked and they were starting to realize it now. Whenever Mycroft had a meeting, whether Joanna was invited or not, she was always there. Other's hated it, Mycroft of course now did not mind it and actually preferred it. The only problem was, people were starting to realize they were closer with each other.

Mycroft realized the change in the last two years. When in their offices and just around Anthea they were free to act as close with each other as they chose to and of course that meant they could act like a couple. As soon as anyone else entered their office spaces or they were in a meeting with any members of Parliament or a foreign government they acted completely business like around each other. Mycroft hated having to call her Miss Reyer and he knew she hated to have to call him Mr. Holmes and act so distant towards him but it was necessary. They had however slipped just once, only once, in front of half of Parliament. He had asked for a folder that Joanna had by her side and he had used her given name, not her last name. He had been distracted which he shouldn't have been. Of course they tried to not sit too close to one another but after three or more hours they sometimes would find themselves leaning closer to one another, sharing looks, sending notes to each other and Mycroft was starting to realize that Parliament and several other governments seemed to know that they had some sort of relationship. So far it had affected anything but they had to be careful. Joanna knew what their relationship coming out could entail.

This was different than Sherlock and Lexi's relationship getting out in the press. If Parliament or foreign governments found out that the head of the British Government was engaged to the woman who was an intelligence agent and notoriously known for causing trouble as well as providing help to governments she decided she liked, both of them would be in danger of a possible uprising. Joanna was still not well liked despite the fact that she was offering her help to the British Government, especially by Parliament because she told them what they were going to do. The Prime Minister had mixed feelings about her, however the Queen quite adored her. Their caution over what could happen if their engagement came out was what was keeping them from getting married just yet. He had discussed their marriage with Joanna and they both agreed they did not want a large wedding. Neither he nor Joanna were overly religious and Joanna really didn't have any family she could invite. The only people she said that she would even want there for certain would be Lexi and Anthea because both women were like sisters to her and Sherlock would have to be there of course if Lexi was there. It might be a while off until they could get married, but Joanna had told him that she was content for now at least being assured that he was hers and wasn't going anywhere. A piece of paper didn't change the fact that they were devoted to each other and already living with each other and sharing everything they had with each other.

"Oh, go on. It's been an age," Sherlock told Mycroft, drawing him back into the conversation they were currently having and Mycroft lifted the hat to his nose and sniffed it before he looked across to Sherlock. He wrinkled his nose slightly and Joanna pulled a face behind Lexi and Sherlock's heads that only Mycroft could see. She shook her head slightly and then stuck her tongue out in disgust. Joanna had a long discussion with him that deductions that involved sniffing something and or tasting or licking something just shouldn't be done and should be left a mystery. Mycroft of course disagreed with her.

"I always win," Mycroft warned Sherlock and Joanna walked closer to Mycroft and stood near John's chair, leaning her arm against it as she studied him, still eyeing the hat with a disgusted look.

"We've never played before," Joanna pointed out to Mycroft as Lexi did one final check on their network before she walked over and stood next to Sherlock so that they were all standing near enough to each other in what would probably be the largest game of deductions ever attempted. Mycroft realized that Joanna was in fact right. Since she discovered that she could deduce now by chance he had never attempted to test her skills or play a game of deductions with her.

"And I've beaten you before Mycroft which is why you can't resist playing against us," Lexi told Mycroft sweetly as she reached up on tiptoes and pressed a kiss to Sherlock's cheek. He smirked down at her and glanced at her for a long moment before he looked back to his brother again.

"I find nothing irresistible in the hat of a well-travelled anxious sentimental unfit creature of habit with appalling halitosis ...," Mycroft told them quick fire, accidently spilling out the deductions he had made about the hat as he was distracted by Joanna who was making bedroom eyes at him again. He stopped when he noticed Sherlock and Lexi's widening smiles as well as Joanna's smirk. "Damn," Mycroft swore and he threw the hat, Joanna caught it in its flight towards Sherlock which made Mycroft smirk. Her reflexes were extremely fine-tuned.

"They got you there honey," Joanna told Mycroft before she held the bobble hat up by its bobble, almost as if she didn't want to touch it anywhere else, and glanced over it again. "Bit isolated, too, don't you think?" Joanna asked Mycroft as she raised her eyebrow inquisitively at him and Mycroft frowned at her ever so slightly.

"Why would he be isolated?" Mycroft asked her curiously as she threw the hat over to Sherlock who caught it readily. He hadn't picked up on any isolation from the hat.

""He"?" Sherlock asked Mycroft in confusion and Joanna smiled in pride which made Mycroft puff his chest out slightly as he looked over at his brother.

"Obviously," Mycroft told Sherlock with a smile and Joanna raised her eyebrow at him slightly.

"Why? Is it because of the size of the hat?" Joanna asked Mycroft curiously as he turned and looked at her. He could tell that she wasn't questioning his deduction per say, she agreed that the hat belonged to a male because she had deduced that too, but she wanted to know his reasoning behind why it had to have belonged to a male.

"Some women have larger heads too Mycroft," Lexi pointed out to both boys who flinched slightly.

"Your head is perfectly sized," Sherlock told Lexi and she grinned up at him as he bent down to kiss her forehead. Lexi hummed in contentment and Mycroft sighed in exasperation and rolled his eyes at their display of sentimentality before he flicked his gaze up to Joanna.

'_Your head is beautiful, though I am quite partial to every part of you,'_ Mycroft told Joanna and she smirked back at him cheekily.

'_Oh, don't I know it. You seemed to like every bit of me when I did get you to call for mercy. Three times, quite a record,'_ Joanna told him and Mycroft blushed ever so slightly before he looked over at Sherlock.

"No – he's recently had his hair cut. You can see the little hairs adhering to the perspiration stains on the inside," Mycroft told Sherlock who looked down at the hat, pouting slightly.

"Some women have short hair, too," Sherlock pointed out and Mycroft hummed slightly.

"Balance of probability," Mycroft told Sherlock as he flicked his gaze up to Joanna who nodded at him to let him know that had answered her earlier question.

"Not that you've ever spoken to a woman with short hair," Sherlock told Mycroft and Joanna hummed in agreement at that as she lowered her tea mug.

"No, he likes my hair long. Must be a Holmes' thing," Joanna mused with a sly smile on her lips and she and Lexi shared a knowing look.

"Hair fetish. Sherlock was more upset when I had to cut my hair than I was," Lexi told Joanna and both boys reddened slightly and cleared their throats awkwardly. "Anyway, the perspiration stains show that he's out of shape. Probably has a very sedentary lifestyle and job," Lexi commented as she took the hat from Sherlock and looked it over.

"And he's sentimental because the hat has been repaired three, four ...," Mycroft said before Sherlock and Lexi cut him off.

"Five times," Sherlock and Lexi said in unison as she threw the hat back to Mycroft.

"Very neatly," Sherlock said before he continued with the rest of the deduction quick fire. "The cost of the repairs exceeds the cost of the hat, so he's mawkishly attached to it, but it's more than that. One, perhaps two, patches would indicate sentimentality, but five? Five's excessive behaviour. Obsessive compulsive."

"Hardly. Your client left it behind. What sort of an obsessive compulsive would do that?" Mycroft asked them as he threw the hat back to Sherlock, who grabbed it with an exasperated grimace. Joanna tensed slightly and Mycroft realized that the flying hat was getting to her slightly and that she was forcing herself not to catch it mid-flight. He sent her an apologetic look and she shrugged at him slightly to let him know that she was alright. It was just a natural instinct for her now.

"One who wanted to have a reason to come back if they didn't want to take his case," Joanna told Mycroft suddenly and he looked sidelong at her thoughtfully before conceding and nodding. She had a point, a rather good point and he shot her a proud look which she grinned at.

"The earlier patches are extensively sun-bleached, so he's worn it abroad – in Peru," Mycroft told his brother and Lexi and Lexi raised her eyebrow at him as did Joanna. Joanna tilted her head to the side slightly before shaking her head at him where Sherlock and Lexi wouldn't see.

"Peru?" Sherlock asked Mycroft in confusion.

"This is a chullo – the classic headgear of the Andes. It's made of alpaca," Mycroft told him, looking rather smug.

"No," Sherlock said with a smirk as Lexi shook my head at him. What and why was Joanna giving him that look?

"Not exactly," Lexi told Mycroft as she took the hat from Sherlock and looked it over again.

"No?" Mycroft asked them in confusion as he shot a look over to Joanna and she was frowning slightly in a way he recognized. She had made a deduction but didn't understand how she had come to it. Ah, he would have to talk to her later, give her some training, work with her. That was normal once you started out. She just needed a bit more practice but she was doing beautifully as if she had been doing it all her life. She was rather good. Sherlock nodded quickly at him as Joanna nodded as well.

"Icelandic sheep wool. Similar, but very distinctive if you know what you're looking for. Lexi and I've written a blog on the varying tensile strengths of different natural fibres," Sherlock told Mycroft and Lexi nodded at him in agreement.

"Last night actually," Lexi added as she handed the hat back to Sherlock.

"I'm sure there's a crying need for that," Mrs. Hudson said as she walked back into the living room with the tea pot.

"We were bored," Lexi told her with a shrug and Joanna smirked at her.

"Were you now?" Joanna asked her and Lexi shrugged again.

"Stitches make certain activities difficult and I didn't feel like ripping them for a third time," Lexi told Joanna and she nodded at her sympathetically. As for them, they had actually missed their dinner reservations last night and had instead returned back to their home and snuggled in bed with Chinese takeaway. It wasn't exactly the night Anthea had planned for them but Mycroft didn't care. As long as he had Joanna, any night was good. Sherlock blushed fiercely at the comment Lexi had made and Mycroft forced himself to think of something else as his brother paused for a moment before he turned back to him and tried to ignore Joanna and Lexi who were watching him closely.

"You said he was anxious," Sherlock said and Mycroft nodded, looking smug now that the tables had turned and Joanna and Lexi were teasing Sherlock instead of him.

"The bobble on the left side has been badly chewed, which shows he's a man of a nervous disposition but ...," Mycroft said before Sherlock talked over him and Joanna rolled her eyes and pulled a slight face at Sherlock which neither he or Lexi of course saw.

"...but also a creature of habit because he hasn't chewed the bobble on the right," Sherlock concluded and Mycroft nodded at him.

"Precisely," Mycroft said and Sherlock lifted the hat and sniffed it before lowering it again, grimacing. Joanna made another disgusted face and grimaced and then she shook her head at Mycroft and covered her face with her hands for a second behind his brother and Lexi's backs.

"Brief sniff of the offending bobble tells us everything we need to know about the state of his breath," Sherlock said and he turned towards Lexi just as Joanna lowered her hands back to her sides and gestured to the hat if Lexi wanted to sniff it.

"No, you keep that over there," Lexi told Sherlock as she raised my hands and took a slight step back from him, closer to Joanna's side.

"Brilliant!" Sherlock said sarcastically after shrugging at me.

"Elementary," Mycroft said to which Lexi cried out a loud "Oi!" and gave him a rather pointed look which Joanna rolled her eyes at.

"But you've missed his isolation," Sherlock told Mycroft.

"I don't see it," Mycroft told him shortly.

"Plain as day," Sherlock continued as Joanna and Lexi set in to just watch the two of them.

"Where?" Mycroft asked Sherlock, throwing a look over at Joanna and she shook her head at him, telling him that she was not going to be helping him. Lexi grinned at Joanna who had a straight face and a slightly raised eyebrow which Mycroft knew was her thoughtful expression.

"There for all to see," Sherlock said, goading Mycroft on.

"Tell me," Mycroft demanded.

"Plain as the nose on your ...," Sherlock said, trailing off as he ignored his brother.

"Tell me," Mycroft demanded again in exasperation.

"Well, anybody who wears a hat as stupid as this isn't in the habit of hanging around other people, is he?" Sherlock asked his brother as he turned back to him.

"Not at all. Maybe he just doesn't mind being different. He doesn't necessarily have to be isolated," Mycroft said, no longer talking about the hat owner and talking of himself instead as he knew what his brother was doing. He was not isolated. He had Joanna. He didn't hang around people because he didn't need anyone other than her.

"Exactly," Sherlock said and he looked down at the hat again. Mycroft blinked several times in confusion, unsure if he had heard his brother right.

"I'm sorry?" Mycroft asked Sherlock and Lexi shrugged at him as Joanna's eyebrow arched higher.

"He's different – so what? Why would he mind? You're quite right," Sherlock said, looking back at him before he lifted the hat and perched it on the top of his head, then looked pointedly at his brother as Lexi grimaced. "Why would anyone mind?" Sherlock asked Mycroft who opened his mouth but struggled to speak for a moment.

His brother was basically saying he was lonely, that he was different and that he should mind that he was different and he should get out there, that other people shouldn't mind that he was different. Why did he care? Was this some misguided attempt at acting brotherly? Now after two years? Had his brother really changed all that much, become more sentimental since his marriage? Surely he was different around Lexi, more open about discussing his sexual relationship with her in public, more affectionate as well. Mycroft himself had changed since his engagement to Joanna but that was because Joanna allowed him to change. With her he could be himself and he wanted to be everything he could be for her, be the man she deserved. He learnt more sentimentalities, how to care…not that his brother would notice.

"... I'm not lonely, Sherlock," Mycroft said firmly and Sherlock tilted his head down and looked closely at him, then stepped nearer with an intense expression on his face.

"Oh, I know," Sherlock said, his intense expression turning into a smirk as he flicked his gaze over to Joanna. "I'm sure my dear soon to be sister in law keeps you plenty occupied," Sherlock said suggestively as he took the hat off and turned away and Mycroft realized that Sherlock might have picked up on a few of their displays of affection. Mrs. Hudson, who had been pottering in the kitchen, came to the doorway and smiled knowingly at Joanna and Lexi as they shrugged in unison and grinned back at her.

"Yes. Back to work if you don't mind. Good morning," Mycroft told Sherlock as Joanna turned her gaze on him and started making bedroom eyes at him again and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. His voice came out with the tone slightly off as his cheeks tinged a bright red and he looked at Joanna. "Joanna," He said reprovingly and she nodded before grinning over at Lexi.

"And it was just starting to get fun," She told Lexi as Mycroft headed for the door without waiting for her, knowing that if he stayed any longer in front of her with her giving him that look that she would probably make a comment that he did not want his brother to hear. He waited just outside the door for her however so that he could hear what she was saying. "It was lovely to meet you properly Mrs. Hudson," Joanna said as she no doubt gave the older woman a hug. "I'm sure you'll seeing a lot more of me," Joanna told her. "You kids behave. Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Joanna told them suggestively and Lexi giggled at her as Mycroft heard her walk over to the door he started down the stairs before calling for her, knowing that she was drawing this out for some reason. "Yes I'm coming!" Joanna yelled down to him. "Bloody British Government. So impatient," He heard Joanna say before she came out of his brother's flat, loudly stomping down the stairs with her laptop under her arm. Mycroft met her at the bottom of the stairs and he stood in front of her, not speaking as she walked around him and put her laptop down on a the small table in the hall before she walked back over to him as he went to reach for her coat to help her into it. She grabbed his hand however and started pulling him down the hall way.

"What are you doing?" Mycroft hissed at her quietly. She looked over her shoulder at him and Mycroft gulped slightly, seeing her heated gaze and he allowed himself to be lead as she pulled him right to the door of the unoccupied flat, 221C which he thought was locked but found was unlocked. Joanna pushed the door open and dragged him inside before closing the door behind them and pulling him down the flight of sitars into the musty, dusty, damp, and slightly mouldy basement flat with peeling wallpaper.

"It'll have to do," Joanna told him and Mycroft frowned at her in confusion.

"Do for what?" Mycroft asked her, not understanding what she was getting at.

"Love, you have a brilliant mind. Make a deduction," Joanna told him before her mouth was on his. Mycroft quickly caught up to what she had pulled him downstairs for and he pulled away from her and she pouted at him.

"We can't do this here," He hissed at her and she smirked at him.

"Why not? At Baker Street, I mean their couch would have been better and we just might at some point because I like to live dangerously and it would completely piss your brother off if he found out we shagged on their couch but…right underneath them works for now," Joanna told them and Mycroft looked down at her with wide eyes and shook his head at her before smirk slightly.

"You will be the death of me," Mycroft told her as Joanna started unbuttoning his suit jacket and pushed it off his shoulders, she smirked up at him slyly as she unbuttoned his waist coat and Mycroft shook his head one more time before bending down and lifting her legs up so she could wrap them around his waist and he crashed his lips onto hers. He had to admit, his brother's face if they did ever shag on their couch…Joanna did have some rather good ideas.


	23. Was That Really Necessary?

**Hello sweeties. Another update on Goldfish. And more will be coming soon as we move on with the wedding!**

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><p>If you were to ask Mycroft Holmes now, nearly three years after Joanna Reyer had first burst into his office to define his life he would give you a bit different answer than he would have given previously. He would still have to remark with office hours, but anyone who truly knew him would realize how nonchalantly he said this while previously it would have been said with a tired sigh. He would now also remark that it was filled with quite a lot of time with his fiancée, Joanna Reyer, the same woman who he had once thought had been sent to him to be his own personal torturer.<p>

Those that knew Mycroft would be surprised with just how much love he put into saying Joanna's name, how his face lit up in soft smile whenever he seemed to think of her. Joanna and Mycroft had been engaged now for over two years. Mycroft had changed significantly during that time and people had come to notice it. He was softer if at all possible, but when he was at work he could still be as cold and as uncaring as he had ever been before…just not around his assistant or Joanna. Joanna herself was finally celebrating her fortieth birthday, just after Sherlock and Lexi's return and her arrest of Lord Moran.

Joanna had not been in the mood to celebrate her birthday and as Mycroft discovered it was because she was self-conscious about her age. It took some amount of persuading on his part along with lots of encouragement, but in the end he finally got her to allow him to throw her a little celebration. He could understand how she felt as he himself had felt self-conscious at turning forty. Turning forty-three had been significantly worse for him as he knew he had a fiancée who was three years his junior, but then Joanna had reminded him that their age difference didn't matter and neither did his age. It therefore was his turn to remind her of the same thing.

He didn't make a large affair out of her birthday given that she didn't really want to make a big deal out of it so he just invited Anthea to join them out for dinner since she and Joanna were like sisters. Mycroft forwent inviting his brother or Lexi because he thought it best to not invite his brother who might make a comment about aging and he couldn't just invite Lexi as she never went anywhere without Sherlock. They're dinner had been lovely and Joanna seemed to enjoy herself and they had returned home to watch a recorded copy of Les Mis while cuddled up on the couch with a bottle of wine. She had been amazed with the gifts he had gotten her, sapphire earrings and a necklace that almost matched the exact colour of her eyes. He had then laid with her in his arms and enjoyed the rest of their quiet night together.

November soon turned to December and before Mycroft knew it there was Christmas carols playing whenever he went. Joanna was constantly humming in the office or about the house and Mycroft enjoyed her festive displays. Once again she decorated their house, this time getting a full sized tree. She spent one afternoon decorating with Anthea as both women chatted lazily and they put up wreaths and fairy lights around the house along with decorating the tree with tinsel and bobbles. Joanna's favourite thing was hanging mistletoe up in random places around the house or office and trying to catch him under it, not that they needed an excuse for a snog. They had been invited to 221B for Christmas and Lexi as well as Mrs. Hudson were insisting that they come. Joanna had accepted, despite his protests, as it was Sherlock and Lexi's first Christmas back in London. They had spent Christmas Eve alone, quietly exchanging gifts with one another while enjoying the things Joanna had baked for the holidays which included a mixture of French, British, and American sweets and pastries.

Mycroft protested heavily the next evening, especially when Joanna threatened him into wearing a rather horrible Christmas jumper and had teased him by wearing a rather tantalizingly short Christmas dress. Mycroft grumbled as they got out of the car together, arriving at Baker Street though he blushed as they stepped inside and he helped Joanna take her coat of in the hall downstairs, catching sight of the door that led down to 221C. Joanna smirked and winked at him playfully before she headed up the stairs to his brother's flat. Mycroft groaned once, knowing that Joanna was not going to make this evening easy for him before he carefully started up the stairs behind her.

"So this is what happens when we leave you two alone," Joanna heard Mary ask as she quietly bolted up the stairs, the skirt of her Christmas elf dress swishing around her knees as she tried to make it up the stairs completely silently. She already knew which of the steps creaked and she jumped over that one before making it up the next three quickly, holding the end of her hat so that the bell wouldn't jingle.

"Oh, far worse than that," Lexi told Mary in reply as Joanna made it to the top of the stairs where the door was open to the living room of the flat and Joanna looked back, seeing Mycroft was almost at the top of the stairs. She flashed him a bright smile and he nodded at her before she just burst into the flat, making her grand entrance.

"Yeah, you don't want to know what the kids get up to while you're gone," Joanna told Mary who looked up at her in alarm. Joanna raised her eyebrow slightly at the blonde woman, noticing just a slight change in the woman's posture when she walked into the room. Odd…Joanna didn't like that, she covered it up by mauling Lexi in a large hug, the Irish detective also wearing a Christmas elf outfit. Hmm, it was Christmas so she was taking a break, but as soon as Christmas was over she was going to take a look into Mary. Something just wasn't sitting right with her. "Santa's helper here to help," Joanna said before she leaned back and pulled Mycroft into the room as he was trying to hide out in the hallway. Everyone snorted in some way or another at the British Government's Christmas jumper which was identical to the one Sherlock was wearing. The Holmes' brothers meet each other's gaze and both men grimaced before sharing looks of sympathy with each other. "Mistletoe!" Joanna said excitedly as she suddenly noticed the spring hanging over the doorway, probably hung there by Mrs. Hudson who was trying to catch a certain detective and army doctor underneath it, before she pulled Mycroft down and kissed him soundly. He made a surprised sound at the suddenness of it and the fact that Joanna had just announced in front of a roomful of people that they were most assuredly together and then he straightened up, grumbling as he straightened his sweater as if it was one of his suits.

"Joanna," Mycroft chastised her and she grinned at him cheekily, winking at him saucily and Mycroft cleared his throat slightly before she went to mingle with everyone else leaving him on his own by the door a bit warm around his cheeks and neck.

"Ah ha, Lestrade! Nice to put a face to a name," Joanna said as she hugged the D.I. and Mycroft growled possessively under his breath which Joanna must have heard or at least counted on him doing as she looked over at him and raised her eyebrow while smirking. It was the first time they had met in person and Lestrade would soon find out that Joanna was a hugger as well as a ball of energy. Mycroft still, even after three years, had no clue how to handle Joanna as was evident by the fact that she was currently making the bedroom eyes at him which she seemed to do whenever they were engaged in social obligations with his brother and Lexi.

"So you are the Joanna or British Security Service that's been keeping an eye on us all," Lestrade said and Joanna shrugged at him offhandedly with an innocent expression on her face as if this was nothing at all. Mycroft rolled his eyes at her slightly knowing that she was anything but innocent.

"I monitor everything. Nothing happens that I don't know about," Joanna told Mycroft before she wiggled her eyes at Lexi who just hit her playfully on the arm before handing her a glass of Sangria. Mycroft groaned slightly as Joanna saluted her with her glass before Lexi walked over to Sherlock, putting down her own wine glass and picking her viola up in the process. Joanna with a glass of wine in her was worse than Joanna when she was sober. His brother and Lexi began playing "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" together and the rest of the night continued. Mycroft made his way over to the back corner of the room and his brother seemed to have the same idea. They shared a look with one another as they watched their respective fiancées drinking and mingling with the other people. Trying to fade into the background was difficult with Lexi and Joanna there as they kept pulling them front and center into the party to mingle with others which Mycroft was not up too.

The rest of the night went smashingly. There were Christmas crackers and so much food. Mrs. Hudson and Lexi had been cooking since that morning and it was all delicious. Sherlock and Mycroft had to admit that much. After that they passed around gifts. John received jumpers, tea, mugs, and from Sherlock and Lexi, a New Year's trip to Paris for him and Mary. Mary received perfume, a variety of bath and body supplies, and from Sherlock and Lexi she received concert tickets for her and John. Mycroft got all manners of ties, pens, tie pins, and an umbrella from Lexi and Sherlock. Joanna was given a range of stuff from spy equipment to computer programs and then Lexi and Sherlock had given her two tickets to see Les Mis which had just come back to London again. Mycroft was very unhappy over this but Joanna was thrilled. Lestrade and Molly both got gifts to help them in their work but Tom got all generic gifts as no one really knew him yet. Mrs. Hudson was lavishly gifted by everyone as everyone loved her. Sherlock received a skull shirt from John along with violin strings. Lexi received a new red plaid scarf from John along with music sheets and Mary had given both her and Sherlock tickets to Dartmoor and reservations for them to stay at the same Bed and Breakfast from when they were working the Hound case. Joanna and Mycroft gifted them with 48 hour access to the labs at Baskerville. Lestrade gave them stacks of cold case files with the promise of more. Molly gifted them with two fresh cadavers to experiment on. Tom gave them matching tea mugs and Mrs. Hudson gave them a personalized towel set. After the gifts had been given out, Lexi forced everyone into watching the Christmas special of Doctor Who while they drank more eggnog and hot chocolate. Lexi and Sherlock curled up in their chair while John and Mary pulled his old chair next to theirs and copied them. Mrs. Hudson Joanna, and Molly took the couch while the boys sat at their feet. It was a brilliant night and no one could even remember when it was over that they had ever spent two Christmases without the two consulting detectives. When Mycroft and Joanna got back to their home Mycroft had to admit that for once, Christmas spent with his brother had not been terrible. In fact, it had not ended as all the other Holmes' Christmases had before. That's not to say that he actually enjoyed spending time with his brother.

It was now six months later. 0800 hours. D-day. The day the world stood still. The eleventh hour. It was the day of John and Mary's wedding and it was also the day that Sherlock and Lexi were getting married…again, this time officially. Not that they actually knew they were yet. Somehow, someway they had planned a double wedding without either of them finding out. It had been John and Mary's idea, mostly John's. John had wanted them to have a proper wedding, but he knew that Sherlock and Lexi, being Sherlock and Lexi, would miss their own wedding if something more important in their eyes like a double homicide suddenly came up. He knew however that after everything they had put him through that the one day they would never miss would be his wedding day. So, the only day they could plan on them actually making it to their own wedding was John's wedding day. Thus the army doctor purposed a double wedding, a secret double wedding because they all knew the two detectives might back out of it if they knew about it.

It was difficult…it took a lot of juggling on Joanna's part to make sure that everything ran smoothly. Everyone had code names, no one knew the entirety of the plan, and the only person who was coordinating all of it and getting it all together was her because she could trust herself around Lexi and Sherlock to not let anything slip. Mycroft was unfortunately easily read by his brother so Joanna kept their contact down to the bare minimum and while keeping him in the loop, kept his hand in the wedding plans down to a minimum which suited him just fine. They already had spoken with John and they had sort of come to the conclusion that Mycroft would not be standing in as Sherlock's best man for the wedding. John was going to instead take that role if it was amicable to Sherlock which Joanna knew it would be. Of course she had to role her eyes at the brotherly feud but she wasn't going to argue with her fiancée who said it was for the best. He had opted out of being a groomsman too, thinking it best if he was simply a guest at his brother's wedding rather than a member of the wedding party.

Joanna had tried her best to convince him to at least be a groomsman, but he had told her that the old feelings between him and his brother ran too deep and his simply being present at his brother's wedding would suffice to show his brotherly compassion. Joanna would be standing in as Lexi's Maid of Honour for the occasion. Mary had insisted upon it as Joanna had been in Lexi's life more in the last ten years. Joanna was of course excited about this as she finally got to see her best friend and the woman who was like a younger sister to her marry the man she loved. Lexi had always been worried she would never find anyone and now she had. Joanna, after getting to know Sherlock more, decided that she did in fact like him and they now had a sibling like bond with each other which was good as she was going to be his sister in law at some point. Joanna had helped in planning John and Mary's wedding as well. Mary and her were close, not like she was with Lexi, but they were friends. There was something about Mary that still puzzled Joanna, but so far she had found no red flags about her that would tell her to caution herself. She had told Mycroft of her feelings on the matter and he agreed with her, telling her he had made his own deductions about the soon to be Mrs. Watson and that she was lying about something. Whatever it was, Joanna could do nothing to confront her about it and would have to wait to see how the events unfolded. It could be nothing or it could be something.

John and Joanna were…she didn't know what they were exactly. They sort of had the same relationship as he had with Mycroft only different as they were slightly closer and on better terms with one another. Joanna had visited with him a few times after the Fall. It had been hard for John as she had been very close to Lexi, but she had brought him food to make sure he ate and would just sit and get him to talk and not close himself off. He remembered that and thanked her for it. He was still slightly nervous around her though. He knew what she was, an assassin and that seemed to make him slightly uncomfortable around her. That was until she rescued him from one of Lexi's flying projectiles. Then he seemed to be a bit more at ease around her once he realized that she only used her skills to protect people. Sherlock got on her nerves constantly when they were around each other as he tried to test her skills. Lexi warned him not to but still he persisted, calling it his experiment, so she did not go easy on him.

At first it had just been him throwing stiff at her at random times. On each occasion she would be either engaged in talking to someone or doing something and each time she would catch it with precision and toss it back at him, usually hitting him rather hard with it, enough to cause bruising later on, though he never complained. Next it was booby traps in their flat when they came to visit and she instantly reacted and took them all out before Mycroft could even step into the flat. He even once went as far as to rig up a gun that would fire as soon as the door would open. She ended up having to push Mycroft to the round and roll on top of him. Apparently he was testing to see how far she would go to protect his brother. Mycroft got increasingly more agitated as Sherlock tested her but she calmed him down, saying it didn't bother her so long as he didn't get hurt. Sherlock finally stopped when he himself snuck up on her and that ended with him getting pinned to the wall after getting thrown about roughly. He received several cuts and bruises and was limping for a week. John chastised him about antagonizing a trained assassin who would immediately move to protect someone if provoked as she was with Mycroft. John had to explain to Sherlock that Joanna was like him, a trained soldier and that she was dangerous and could kill him. He stopped after that and Lexi just smacked him upside the head for being an idiot. Mycroft thought it was rather humorous that she had nearly murdered his brother before realizing it was him all to protect him. Joanna didn't find it funny, but she once again told him that she would do anything to protect him.

Lexi and Joanna both agreed that their fiancées were being idiots sometimes. When they both needed time to escape they would take Anthea and Mary and escape for a girls day of shopping or spa treatments paid for by the British Government. Joanna was not happy the first time she found a few grey hairs and had tried dying her hair once, but Mycroft noticed straight away. He told her that he loved her, no matter what she looked like and no matter how many grey hairs she had. She was beautiful to him. She told him that she just didn't like being so old and he told her they could be old together. Mycroft had a few greying hairs of his own in his receding hair line. With all this talk of weddings and planning ones for Sherlock and Lexi and John and Mary they had found time to discuss their own nuptials. They knew they wanted it to be soon as they weren't going to get any younger and they had already been engaged for nearly three years. Mycroft did not want his parents at their wedding, not like they were going to be at Sherlock and Lexi's. Joanna understood this as he had a strained relationship with them. Both of them had very few friends, hardly any save for each other, so there were very few people they would want to invite anyway. Anthea, Charlotte, of course would be there as she was more than just their PA and like family to the both of them. They had her over for holidays and birthdays and she was like a sister to Joanna. Sherlock and Lexi would have to be there. Joanna wanted Lexi there and Mycroft, though not exactly wanting his brother there, knew he would have to invite him. Other than those three people there was no one else they really cared to invite.

Then they had to consider the venue. For such a small wedding it hardly made sense to go through the trouble of planning a ceremony and a reception. Joanna said she really didn't need a wedding or even cared to have a large one. If they had been alive she would have wished her brothers were here and she laughed and told him that if they had been, he would have never survived the stag night and the partying at the wedding. Joanna remarked that there was a lovely garden area walled off behind the Diogenes club. There was a small rose garden and a gazebo along with some nice gravel trails. She told him that they could, if they wanted to, just have their wedding there and maybe have some cake and tea inside the club afterwards or get the chefs to prepare them something. Mycroft agreed with the idea, liking the simplicity of it and the quietness of it. It would also be intimate, mostly just the two of them, and it reflected what their relationship had always been like. They agreed that it would be best to wait until after Sherlock and Lexi's wedding as things were far too crazy to try and plan everything before it. Joanna did however start looking for a dress.

Currently the woman who practically ran the British Government alongside her fiancée was going absolutely mental. She was ready to tear her hair out and Mycroft was being smart and staying out of her way. He knew that if he valued his life and wished to live to see another day that the safest thing to do was to find something to occupy himself with until he needed to get ready to leave which was why he was currently in the exercise room on the treadmill. Joanna was still dressed in her cotton bed shorts and tank top and her hair was thrown up in a messy bun as she ran about their house like a woman gone mad. Anthea was already down in Bristol at the reception hall getting things set up and Joanna was on her phone coordinating the last few minute things. Lexi's dress and everything was already where it needed to be and her own dress was also at the reception hall, waiting for her to get changed as soon as she got there. She also would have to do her hair and makeup and coordinate with Janine who was one of Mary's bridesmaids and closest to Joanna since she started planning the wedding. Anthea was also a bridesmaid and Mary had a few more of her friends standing with her as well. Lexi was Mary's Maid of Honour like Sherlock was John's best man so everything should be running just about smoothly. Joanna finally stopped running around for a moment and took a deep breath, looking down at her own ring and smiling softly. All this work for a wedding. Thank God she and Myc were just eloping basically. She could not bring herself to do all this work for a second time.

In the other room, Mycroft, dressed in gym clothes which were a matching set to Joanna's, was jogging on the treadmill. He frowned slightly, wondering were Joanna had gotten off too. It had been a while since he had last seen her and surely by now she had worked everything out that she had needed to. Well even if she hadn't, he wanted to see her. He switched off the machine and jumped off of it, breathing heavily. He walked a few paces away, then stopped and lifted his top to examine his stomach, patting it reflectively. He smiled, quite pleased with himself. He had slimmed down significantly in the last three years. Joanna had as well, not that Mycroft would ever mind the way she looked. She was beautiful exactly the way she was. Speaking of Joanna…she often found him terribly appealing after he had been working out. Maybe if he could convince her that they had enough time before they had to be getting ready he could distract her for a few minutes to get her mind off of all the work she had been putting into his brother's wedding plans. If not he could always convince her to take a shower with him to save on time. On a nearby table, his phone rang and he frowned slightly as it meant that he couldn't go off to find Joanna right away as he wanted to. He picked it up and answered it, sighing in annoyance as he read the caller ID.

"Yes, what, Sherlock?" Mycroft answered breathlessly and in irritation. Trust his brother to call him now when he wasn't wanted. Mycroft had much more pleasant things on his mind than dealing with his brother at the current moment. His brother was after all not a curvaceous woman with the most extraordinary blue eyes and luscious raven hair who could be quite easily convinced to partake in a little distraction. His brother was also not his fiancée and thank heaven for that.

"Why are you out of breath?" Sherlock asked him and Mycroft breathed in deeply, trying to slow down his breathing as he was still slightly out of breath from his recent jog. Of course Sherlock would fixate himself upon that fact.

"Filing," Mycroft lied and Lexi snorted at that. Ah, he should have known that she would also be there.

"With Joanna?" She asked him and Mycroft groaned slightly, not helping his case at all. Mycroft could swear the two women had some pact to gang up on him.

Joanna teased him to no end, in fact she teased him whenever they had to be around his brother and Lexi and even when they were forced to be around his parents. It was frustrating as there was nothing he could do about it and she knew it. As soon as they got home she would then jump on him, not that he was at all complaining. Sometimes however she didn't exactly wait. Mycroft had never been strictly adventurous when it came to sex, but currently they had shagged in his office, in 221C, on one of the couches in Buckingham Palace of which he was not proud of, and even in a closet. Despite their age, they both seemed to have a high libido and Joanna certainly seemed to be keeping him young. At last he didn't have any heart conditions to worry about. The fact remained however that Joanna's bedroom eyes were becoming a challenge. So far he knew that not even his brother had noticed what she was doing which he was extremely thankful for. Mycroft was under the impression that Joanna knew this and was playing some sort of game with him. It wasn't all about sex with them though as Joanna did enjoy just cuddling with him or being around him without even needing to touch him at all.

"Either we've caught you in a compromising position or you've been working out again. I favour the former," Sherlock said with a gleeful tone to his voice and Lexi chuckled as Mycroft sighed heavily. If his brother had called a few minutes later he might have caught him in a compromising position, but it looked like that was going to have to wait now.

"What do you two want?" Mycroft asked his brother and Lexi in exasperation and irritation.

"We need your answer, Mycroft, as a matter of urgency," Sherlock told him, referencing the fact that Mycroft had yet to answer his invitation to John and Mary's wedding. Joanna had planned that he would act like he would not be attending the wedding and then would show up as soon as they told Sherlock and Lexi what they had planned. John and Mary had of course invited him out of sympathy, but it would appear strange for him to accept such an invitation as his brother would find it suspicious that he was accepting an invitation to John's wedding when he did not do social events or sentimental ones.

""Answer"?" Mycroft asked them, pretending he had no idea what they were talking about and Lexi snorted at that.

"Don't play stupid Croft, it doesn't become you," Lexi told him and Mycroft rolled his eyes as he walked about the room slightly, no longer listening to them completely as he wondered where Joanna was. Maybe he could make her some coffee? She looked like she needed some earlier, but she of course would be too stressed to make it for herself. Yes, he could do that for her.

"Even at the eleventh hour it's not too late, you know," Sherlock told his brother and after a second Mycroft heard him hum affectionately. Sentiment. Mycroft snorted a bit at that. At least he could be assured that nothing had changed between his brother and Lexi in the last six months. Everything should go terribly well for Joanna if they were acting this sentimental towards each other already this morning.

"Oh, Lord," Mycroft sighed slightly, as he closed his eyes and grimaced, not wanting to think about his brother's relationship.

"Cars can be ordered, private jets commandeered," Sherlock told his brother, misinterpreting what he had said as being about the wedding, not about them.

"Funerals can be arranged," Lexi added with a laugh. "Joanna will kill you if you aren't there," She told Mycroft pointedly. She would, he knew that. Of course as soon as this call was ended he was going to find her and the both of them were going to get ready before heading to Bristol.

"Today. It's today, isn't it? No, Sherlock, Lexi, I will not be coming to the "night do", as you so poetically put it," Mycroft lied, quite convincingly too and he smirked to himself. For six months they had hid this secret from his brother and Lexi. Mycroft had only proved that he was after all, the smart one.

"What a shame," Sherlock said insincerely. "Mary and John will be extremely d...,"

"...delighted not to have me hanging around," Mycroft finished, interrupting him.

"Oh, I don't know. There should always be a spectre at the feast," Sherlock said and Mycroft rolled his eyes at the little jibe his brother had tried to make at him.

"So, this is it, then. The big day. Getting any ideas of your own or will I be seeing a lot more of you two from now on?" Mycroft asked them with a smirk on his face. He knew he shouldn't but it was ever so fun to tease them, especially when they finally found out in a few hours.

"Well, we would be married by now if you would just make our marriage official," Lexi pointed out to him and Mycroft snorted into the phone.

"And take away Mummy's only chance to see one of her sons get married? Hardly," Mycroft told her.

"Oooh and is she not going to see you and Joanna get married. If I remember correctly, you are engaged too," Lexi told Mycroft and he cleared his throat slightly. "Joanna isn't going to wait forever and this wedding is just going to give her ideas," She told him and Mycroft nodded at that. They were already planning their own wedding, and no, his mother would not be there to see it. One son was more than enough and Sherlock could take upon those duties.

"Yes, well, it's the end of an era, isn't it? John and Mary – domestic bliss," Mycroft said, changing the subject away from his own nuptials quickly.

"No, no, no – we prefer to think of it as the beginning of a new chapter," Sherlock corrected him. There was a moment of silence as Mycroft smiled widely. It was the beginning of a new chapter. Oh this was too much. Too good and he still couldn't even figure it out. "What?" Sherlock asked him and Mycroft snorted slightly.

"Nothing!" Mycroft answered him quickly, a bit sarcastically he might add.

"I know that silence. What?" Sherlock demanded.

"Well, I'd better let you two get back to it. You have a big speech, or something today, don't you?" Mycroft asked Sherlock, trying to change the subject again and also bringing up the speech he knew his brother was no doubt agonizing over as he would be afraid of doing wrong by John. It was childish but Sherlock had interrupted him after all.

"What?" Sherlock asked him once more.

"Croft," Lexi warned his him and Mycroft shrugged his shoulders slightly.

"Cake, karaoke ... mingling," Mycroft continued, trying to goad his brother on which had the desired effect as he finally lost his temper.

"Mycroft!" Sherlock shouted angrily and Mycroft sighed slightly as he contemplated his brother's current position. His brother had never been one to understand that situations changed and that his currently was changing. John had been good for his brother as Mycroft thought he would be, extremely good for both him and Lexi and the loyal army doctor had brought them closer together, but now he was moving on with his life, getting married. The days of the three of them solving cases together was ending and his brother was not going to understand that things were going to be different now, that John was not going to come running when he called with a case. Lexi would always be there to solve cases with him, but their loyal army doctor was ready to settle down and start a family much in the way Sherlock should be ready to. Cases were all well and good, but he could only do it for so long.

"This is what people do, Sherlock – they get married and you are no different. I warned you, don't get involved," Mycroft told his brother, reminding him of one of their previous conversations when he had told Sherlock not to get involved with John's wedding before they had begun planning a double wedding. Mycroft was still against the idea of Sherlock being John's best man. It would only complicate matters further when the inevitable happened. Caring wasn't an advantage and could only be refined to one's other half. Mycroft could care about Joanna, but others he could not.

"Involved? We're not involved," Sherlock told his brother angrily and Mycroft raised his eyebrow at this.

"No," Mycroft said disbelievingly. No, his brother and Lexi were not at all, in any way, involved.

"John asked me to be his best man and Mary asked Lexi to be her maid of honour. How could we say no?" Sherlock asked Mycroft and Mycroft nodded exuberantly.

"Absolutely!" Mycroft told his brother insincerely.

"We're not involved!" Sherlock shouted back at him.

"I believe you! Really, I do! Have a lovely day, and do give the happy couple my best," Mycroft told the both of them insincerely. Joanna who was out in the other room suddenly got a text from Lexi telling her that Mycroft was trying to ruin the wedding for them. She tried to stay calm for all of five seconds before she breathed in deeply and set her jaw in a hardline and began quietly stalking towards the room where she knew Mycroft was located, not wanting him to even have a second's notice that she was coming. He was in trouble, lots of trouble.

"We will," Sherlock told his brother before he lowered the phone, about to switch it off when Mycroft spoke again.

"Oh, by the way, Sherlock – do you remember Redbeard?" Mycroft asked Sherlock, getting one finally jab in since he was feeling particularly in a bad mood now at having been interrupted and arguing with his brother.

"I'm not a child any more, Mycroft," Sherlock told him coldly.

"No, of course you're not. Enjoy not getting involved, Sherlock," Mycroft told him before he jumped roughly as the door to the room banged open. Mycroft froze at seeing Joanna glaring at him and he lowered the phone to his side hurriedly.

"Joanna…," He said quietly, attempting to calm her down as she stalked towards him. Despite her height, despite the fact that her hair was a mess, she looked more frightening than anything Mycroft had ever seen before in his entire life and that included his mother.

"Mycroft bloody Holmes!" Joanna shouted at him and Mycroft ran from her as she went to tackled him. He made it behind a chair which she pulled towards her and he darted off and dropped the phone as he skidded away from her but she caught up with him and started hitting him repeatedly in the arms and chest as he shielded himself with his arms. "How dare you!" Joanna shouted at him angrily, her blue eyes flashing dangerously and Mycroft attempted to flee, only to be tripped as she expertly wrapped a leg around his own, bringing him down with her on top of him, straddling his waist. He groaned loudly as his back hit the floor uncomfortably and Joanna repositioned herself so that she was sitting on his stomach. She leaned forward and picked up his fallen mobile and raised it to her ear. "Taken care of," Joanna told his brother and Lexi brightly before pausing for a second and nodding as she looked down at him, Mycroft still looking up at her in a daze. "Yup," She told them excitedly.

"Joanna, please get off of me," Mycroft told her as he attempted to remove her from his stomach only to find that, despite the fact that she was light, she maintained the ability to hold on. He huffed loudly and laid his head back on the floor.

"You deserve it, don't complain. Besides, I'm not that heavy," Joanna said, pulling away from the phone to talk to him.

"In what way did I deserve it?" Mycroft asked her, groaning slightly as she moved and jarred him roughly in the stomach.

"You were being a prat," Joanna answered him before she went back to talking to Sherlock and Lexi. "You two better get moving. I just talked with Mary and she is having a nervous breakdown," Joanna told Lexi, having just been on the phone with the blonde woman before Lexi texted her to go and hunt down her fiancée. Joanna listened for a moment as Mycroft devised a way that he was going to get Joanna off of him and get back up again. It took him only a few seconds for him to surprise Joanna by wrapping his arms tightly around her waist and pulling himself up to sitting so that she was forced to rearrange herself in his hold. She looked at him in surprise and raised an eyebrow at him and before she could say anything Mycroft leaned down and kissed her soundly. When he pulled back she looked up at him with a dazed expression before clearing her throat slightly and answering whatever Lexi or Sherlock had just said. "Roads are clear and the car should be pulling up outside Baker Street about now," Joanna informed the detectives before she looked down at her watch and frowned slightly. "And this is why I get paid the big bucks," Joanna said before she hung up and threw the mobile a short distance away from them. "What was that all about?" Joanna asked him, raising her eyebrow at him and Mycroft sighed, moving so that Joanna was sitting in between his legs which he wrapped around her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders before he buried his face into her hair.

"Forgive me it was a childish act due to my brother annoying me," Mycroft apologized to her and Joanna sighed before lifting his chin and kissing him soundly.

"Well, no harm done. And we are going to be late and neither of us are ready," Joanna groaned before she buried her face into his chest and snuggled in closer to him as he held onto her.

"Well we could always shower together," Mycroft suggested and Joanna giggled at that and looked up at him, Mycroft getting lost in her blue gaze.

"Nice try. We'd just get distracted and then we really would be late honey. Besides I've already had my shower," Joanna told him before she groaned and wiggled out of his arms, getting to her feet before offering him a hand and helping him up. Mycroft rubbed his back and bum which was slightly sore from his fall and Joanna reached up on her tiptoes to wrap her arms around his neck. "Sorry love," She apologized to him before pulling him down and kissing him soundly.

"Apology accepted," Mycroft told her and she smiled at him softly as they pulled back.

"Get going. We have twenty minutes before our car gets here," Joanna told him as she smacked him lightly on the arse and pushed him towards the door way. Mycroft raised his eyebrow at her to find her smirking back at him in the cat ate the canary sort of way. Mycroft sighed in frustration before going to do as he was told.

Twenty minutes later he joined Joanna who was now dressed in a white sundress with her hair down and falling in a tangle of curls at the front door, dressed in his suit. It was a warm spring day and for once, the weather was going to be sunny without even a small chance of rain. Their car arrived precisely when it was meant to and they both slipped inside before it pulled off into the light flow of traffic. Joanna was once again on her phone coordinating everything and checking with Anthea that everything was in place, making sure that Mary wasn't freaking out, and getting and ETA on Sherlock and Lexi. They would arrive about ten minutes after them so Joanna told Mary and John to show Lexi and Sherlock around the reception hall to stall for time before showing them up to their rooms, mingle, chat, murder someone, she didn't care as long as they could stall for her and then break the news to them once they knew that she was minutes from arriving in case she was needed for damage control. Mycroft finally made her lower her phone by taking it from her and before she could protest his lips met her own. That was all it took for Joanna to calm down and she instantly melted into the kiss, moving as closely to him as the moving car would allow. They enjoyed a nice languid snog for the rest of the duration of their drive which certainly would tide Mycroft over until he could have her in his arms again. It would not make up for the fact that he had to see his parents however whom he would have to meet with as soon as they made it to the church for the ceremony.

As soon as they made it to Goldney Hall Orangery where the reception was to take place and the rooms were also booked for all of the guest and everyone would be getting ready, Joanna jumped out of the car after giving Mycroft a quick kiss and she ran off to, in her words, unfuck the fuck up. Joanna was just hoping, praying that everything was going to go down smoothly. Then again if she had to she could always force Sherlock and Lexi to get married and they really did not want to see what that option would be like because she had planned for the occasion that they both refused. She did not go through all this work to see it not happen at the last minute and knowing John, whom she loved, but knowing John and also Mary they had probably fucked up and told them in a roundabout way. Joanna met up with Anthea on her way to her little detectives and she nodded at her as Anthea handed her a shot of espresso which she downed in one, saluting her before she rounded the corner just as she heard the desolate tones of Sherlock and Lexi. Great, thank you Watson and soon to be Watson.

"WHAT?!" Sherlock and Lexi both shouted loudly as Lexi's arms fell to her sides. Joanna took them both in, neither of them having noticed her yet and just watched their reactions to this shocking bit of news. Sherlock and Lexi looked at each other before taking a slight step away from each other, shock and confusion written all over both of their faces.

"Surprise!" Joanna shouted suddenly, steeping up closer behind the two of them and she relished in the fact that she got the both of them to jump. They turned round to look at her and she started laughing manically and their expressions. "Oh my God, your faces!" Joanna laughed, clutching her side as she doubled over, feeling a sharp stitch in her side. "I can't breathe!" Joanna said, still laughing as she pointed at them and Lexi pinched the bridge of her nose as Sherlock shot her a look of exasperation. Joanna didn't care, oh Myc should have been here he would have died. "Oh, that's priceless. I wish I had a picture of that. Oh wait, I do," Joanna said, calming down and then pointing up at the camera in the hallway. She could get the picture off of the security footage later. She had to show it to Myc. "Scrapbooking that one," She told them, shaking her head. She was being serious that was going to be part of the wedding scrapbook she made for them as the look on their faces when they found out they had been fooled for six months. "Now, wipe those looks off your faces," Joanna told them before smiling gleefully. Now came her favourite part of this entire affair. "It's a shotgun wedding," Joanna told them seriously and Lexi sighed heavily and closed her eyes in exasperation. "Well, not actually, but I can go get a gun if I need to," Joanna assured them, thinking back to the not one but two guns she currently had stashed in her bag. Probably should move those and get those into place before anyone else found them. Lexi opened her eyes and Joanna looked over at Mary. "They're all yours," Joanna told her and John over the detective's shoulders and John and Mary grabbed the both of them and pulled them into their separate rooms. Sherlock and I managed to look at each other once as them both made strangled noises and their faces were identical expressions of terror. "Tootle loo," Joanna told them with a wave as she stood guard out in the hall and Mary closed the door, blocking Lexi in as John did the same to Sherlock. Joanna finally sighed once and then nodded, her work finished for a few minutes as she let Mary handle it since it had been Mary's idea first. Joanna looked over when Mycroft came into the hallway and she grinned at him.

"I take it that my brother and Lexi did not take the news well," Mycroft said as he walked up to her and slipped his arms around her waist, kissing the top of her head affectionately as she leaned back into his chest.

"Not in the least bit," Joanna sighed as they both listened to the ruckus in John's room that sounded like Sherlock was trying to murder him, the swearing in Mary's room and then the loud talking, yelling and explain from each. "It was kind of expected though," Joanna finished and Mycroft nodded as he put his chin on top of her head.

"My brother does like to be dramatic," Mycroft said and his point was capitalized as there was a loud banging from John's room.

"As does Lexi," Joanna sighed before she leaned up and kissed Mycroft's jaw bone. "Alright, stand guard. If you see one of them escape, tackle them. If they get away, use this," Joanna said as she slipped a Taser into his hand.

"Is this… Joanna is this a…?" Mycroft spluttered and Joanna lifted her eyebrow and nodded at him, humming slightly.

"Yeah, we'll go with yes it is and don't ask me how I have it, but I am giving you permission to taze your brother if he steps a foot out of that door so focus on that," Joanna told him, patting him on the arm before she went over to Mary's door and slipped inside the room, throwing one last look over at Mycroft before she did so, watching him slip the Taser into his jacket pocket.

"Well," Joanna said as she slipped into the room, closing the door behind her as she stood next to Mary. "Sherlock is causing a general ruckus. And don't you go getting any ideas MacKenna. I've got someone else guarding the doors," Joanna warned Lexi as she pointed at her accusingly and she rolled her eyes at her. "It's time to put your big girl panties on," Joanna told Lexi seriously and she shook her head at her ruefully. "You and Sherlock are tying the knot," Joanna told Lexi, not taking any ifs, ands, buts, or no's for an answer and Lexi threw her hands in the air.

"I don't even have a dress," Lexi pointed out and Joanna smiled at her gleefully and Joanna could see Lexi biting her cheek from here. Did she seriously think they didn't plan everything? That not having a dress would stop anything? Honestly this was her they were talking about. She coordinated the Korean elections, messed with Russia when they were annoying her, and for fun she sometimes took over government systems and made them all play cat videos. A wedding was not the largest thing she had planned and not the hardest by far.

"Haha. Yes you do," Joanna told Lexi with an excited grin. Lexi's dress had been amazing to shop for, especially since Joanna knew exactly what Lexi would like and Mycroft knew exactly what his brother would. "I chose it and Mycroft paid for it. It's a perfect system," Joanna told Lexi and she sighed heavily.

"Let me talk to Sherlock then," She told Joanna and Mary and Joanna exchanged a glance with her partner in crime. Mary raised her eyebrow slightly and Joanna set her jaw before looking back at Lexi.

"Nope, it's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding," Joanna finally decided, shaking her head and Lexi gave her a firm look.

"Well then you already have a problem because Sherlock's already seen me today," Lexi told her and Joanna laughed at that. Oh honey, technicalities and loop holes. She worked for the government, she knew how to find them.

"You weren't a bride then, now you are," Joanna argued and Lexi sighed loudly in exasperation.

"He isn't going to calm down until I talk to him," Lexi told her and Joanna bit her lip because she knew Lexi was right. Dammit Holmes. Ugh, right now she didn't care that she was doing this for him, he was ruining her master plans. "We barely leave each other's sight for more than a few seconds. He's not only going to be freaking out from you lot springing this on us but we're also out of each other's sight. After everything that happened… it's stressful for the both of us, John has PTSD from the war but Sherlock and I were in a different type of war for two years and we only had each other…he's going to freak out more because you pulled me away from him," Lexi told them and Mary and Joanna both made 'O' expressions on their faces as they realized what she was saying. Shit okay, Joanna could understand that. Ever since Mycroft had almost gotten hurt, not that he had come close, but ever since those assassins had been sent to kill him she had been nothing but protective of him and worried about him if he was away from her. Serbia had nearly killed her being away from him for that long with hardly any contact at all. Not to mention she had almost been caught and killed and that would have meant they would have been caught and killed. It came far too close for her. She was even more affectionate now with Mycroft and a bit more…promiscuous than before due to it. "It's hard for us, even six months later. Out of sight meant one of us could possibly be dead. We watched each other's backs for two years and that need to make sure he's alive still is here. It's worse for him because he did almost lose me more than once," Lexi admitted to them and Mary and Joanna blinked back at her in shock as it was the first time they were hearing this.

"Go," Mary told Lexi urgently as she and Joanna stepped aside. "We're sorry, we didn't think," Mary apologized and Lexi gave her a hug. "We only wanted you two to have the wedding you deserve," Mary told her and Lexi squeezed her tighter.

"I'm not mad at you May, you either Joanie," Lexi told the both of them. "Give us a few minutes," Lexi told Mary, not promising anything and Mary opened the door for her with a nod. Lexi slipped into the hall to find Mycroft leaning up against the wall between the two rooms his hands folded in front of him. Lexi snorted and rolled her eyes at him and Mycroft instantly perked up at the noise and looked towards its maker, seeing his soon to be sister in law standing outside of her room. "End of an era is it then?" Lexi asked him with a raised eyebrow and Mycroft sighed at her loudly in exasperation. "I knew that Joanna would get you here in the end," Lexi told him, smirking at him.

"I believe you have a reason for being out of that room," Mycroft told her, changing the subject and Lexi nodded at him in confirmation.

"Yup, possibly solving John's murder," Lexi told Mycroft and he gave her a knowing look. Yes, it did sound like the good doctor might have been murdered by his brother. Lexi knocked on John's door and waited as there was a loud rush and the sound of a struggle behind the door. John opened the door and poked his head out as he struggled it seemed to keep Sherlock behind the door and in the room. Mycroft shuffled behind Lexi, ready in case he needed to stop his brother. He had his hand on the Taser in his coat pocket, smirking slightly to himself and hoping that his brother did try to make a run for it just so that he would have an excuse to use it. "Mary sent me over. Can you give us a few minutes alone?" Lexi asked John and he nodded at her as Sherlock stopped struggling at having heard Lexi's voice.

"Erm, sure," John told Lexi as he quickly stepped out of the room and shut the door behind him, holding onto the door knob as he caught his breath slightly. "Are you mad at us?" John asked Lexi and she shook her head at him.

"No, I'm not mad, surprised yes. Like I told Mary, we're not used to being away from each other for more than a few seconds. Kind of not the best idea to be out of each other's sight when you're going after killers," Lexi told him and he looked up in surprise as he suddenly got what she meant too. "I make no promises," Lexi told him before he stepped out of her way. She sighed and opened the door, slipping inside the room just as Joanna slipped out of the other room and John and Mycroft looked up at her.

"So you aren't dead," Joanna said as she walked over to Mycroft and he instantly wrapped his arms around her, knowing what Joanna wanted and she tucked herself into his side which caused John's eyes to widen in shock. After a second he realized that he was staring at them and that she had said something to him and he cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Ah no…though he was a bit…intense," John told them as he leaned against the wall near them, crossing his arms as they waited.

"That is my brother Dr. Watson. Try having to live with him while he is a child," Mycroft told him and John shuddered slightly as Joanna giggled.

"Oh dear God, nearly as bad as Lexi," Joanna told them and John nodded, smiling a bit.

"Well they are made for each other," He remarked and Mycroft hummed in agreement.

"Hmm, I believe they are," Mycroft said as John looked between the both of them. "Is there a problem Dr. Watson?" Mycroft asked him as he raised his eyebrow at the doctor and John shook his head with a smirk on his face.

"Not at all, just, you two," John said, gesturing to them both.

"And what does that mean?" Mycroft asked him tetchily.

"Nothing just, you two were sort of made for each other too," John told them and Joanna looked up at Mycroft and grinned before leaning up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his jawline.

"I believe we were John," She said, breaking out of Mycroft's arms and standing beside him as the door opened and Lexi slipped out of the room and into the hall.

"I'll see you shortly Mr. Holmes," Lexi told Sherlock before he shut the door with a chuckle as Mary opened the door to her room a crack to hear what was going on. Lexi turned around as Mary spoke through the crack in her door.

"So?" Mary asked her the question they were all dying to know the answer to and Lexi laughed, leaving them all hanging for a moment.

"I think we have a double wedding to get ready for," Lexi told them and they all sighed in relief.

"About fucking time!" Joanna swore before she and Mary dragged Lexi into the room again and sat her down on one of the chairs. Ugh, consulting detectives were such hard work. This is why she was marrying the British Government instead.


	24. We're Going To Need More Wine

The ceremony had gone perfectly. Not even Joanna had expected it to go that perfectly. The recording she had of Lexi singing, she refused to tell Mycroft how she actually got it, was perfect for the occasion and she could definitely see that it came as a surprise for Sherlock and Lexi. The detective, who claimed he was never sentimental, looked like he was actually fighting back a few tears. Of course with the dress she had picked out for Lexi she was breathtaking. Sherlock's vows had moved everyone to tears and even Mycroft was tearing up as much as he tried to hide it from her when she looked over at him. Joanna went between looking at Mycroft during the ceremony or at her friends getting married. He looked nearly tortured to be sitting next to his parents. Of course Mycroft cleared his throat when his brother's kiss was getting a little too indecent for public. Even John was looking slightly shocked by it which told just about everyone that they didn't usually do something like that in public. As soon as The married couples were headed out of the church, Joanna walked right over to Mycroft who quickly rose to his feet and offered her his arm. Mycroft had been extremely glad to find that Dr. Watson would be his brother's best man as he never did like traditional wedding notions that the best man and maid of honour had to be together at the wedding. If it had been anyone else but Dr. Watson he would have insisted that he be his brother's best man.

Joanna smiled at his parents and greeted them with a small hug before she kissed Mycroft's cheek and let him escort her out of the church. She was beaming even more widely now that he had his arm around her waist and she was leaning in towards him. She waved over at the people she invited specifically for Lexi which included Connor, Murphy, their father Angus, Liz, Douglas, and Martin. She would have invited Dougal and his wife who had known Lexi since she was a child, but after having spoken with them, it was better if they didn't come as any news about a wedding getting back to her father might have been potentially disastrous. The photographer was taking pictures of the wedding party as they made it out side and there was confetti flying everywhere. The camera was suddenly panned on them and Joanna jumped on Mycroft's back, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist as she kissed his neck. He made a face of very uncomposed shock as she threw her head back and laughed brightly. Mycroft looked up at her and rolled his eyes slightly, but after a moment he smiled lightly at her and kissed her cheek as the photographer moved on.

The photographer also got plenty of pictures of Lexi, Mary, Anthea, and Joanna together. He also caught a picture of Joanna terrorizing Lestrade with Mycroft smirking in the background. Mummy and Papa Holmes finally came outside of the church and a few pictures got taken of Sherlock and Lexi with them before there was one group picture of Sherlock and Lexi on their right and Mycroft and Joanna on their left. As soon as all the pictures were done Joanna pulled Mycroft off to the side and cuddled into his chest and he relished in the fact that he got to hold her. His parents were already giving him a headache. They stayed together until they had to return to the reception hall and Joanna had to disappear to change Lexi into her second dress. Mycroft was forced once again to entertain his parents and his mother kept chattering on about his brother and marriage and asking him when he was going to get married. He knew that she was already going to ask him questions like that and he kept deflecting them, refusing to give her a straight answer. Joanna thankfully returned to him soon, looking as beautiful as ever and she stole him away again.

They found a quiet place off to the side in the reception room to just sit and talk with one another. Joanna sat nearly on his lap as she nuzzled her head into his chest. Mycroft finally had time to take her in fully. She was wearing a beautiful lilac dress and shoes that were beige and covered in pink roses. She was wearing the diamond earrings and necklace he had given her just for the occasion. She no longer said anything when he wanted to give her gifts that were, sometimes in her opinion, over the top or posh. She had accepted the fact that, that was the way he was. Joanna was being extra affectionate with him and she nuzzled her face into his waistcoat and sighed deeply, finally allowing herself to relax now that the wedding had gone down without a hitch. Mycroft kissed the top of her head and she looked up at him and kissed him as the rest of the guest trickled into the reception room and found their tables. Joanna had Mary take care of the seating arrangement so she could worry about other things.

Apparently they couldn't be left alone for too long as the other members of their table came to join them. Mrs. Hudson and her date Mr. Chatterjee, a man who had two wives neither of whom knew about the other, sat down across the table from them and Mrs. Hudson kept throwing Mycroft soft looks as she looked between him and Joanna which he ignored as he focused on his fiancée. The pathologist Molly along with the Detective Inspector whom his brother was always following around Gregory Lestrade also joined the table. The worst of it was that his parents were seated at the table as well and they came to take their seats, forcing Joanna to sit on his lap, not that he minded this, since she would be sitting up at the main table with Lexi and Sherlock and the rest of the wedding party. His parents started chatting animatedly with Joanna who indulged them even if Mycroft could see that she wasn't fully paying attention with him. They refused to bother Sherlock and Lexi as they were "celebrating their union" and they scolded Mycroft and told him to leave off them for the day. Mycroft could feel his headache getting worse as the minutes dragged on and Joanna put a comforting hand on his knee as she leaned back into him. He rubbed his thumb over her hip and she looked back at him and raised her eyebrow. The photographer came back again, much to Mycroft's displeasure as he hated having his picture taken, and started taking picture of the people at the table which included his parents and him and Joanna.

His parents once again brought up the subject of their wedding and Joanna told them that they were waiting right now until they found a time that worked with both of their work schedules as they had both been very busy with their jobs which wasn't a lie. Unfortunately this led to his mother telling him off for having Joanna work so hard. She had deterred his mother and told her that she wasn't working too hard and she loved her job and that by working she got to spend more time with Mycroft. The photographer snapped a picture of them then and Joanna pressed her face against his, a bright happy smile on her face as Mycroft grimaced in distaste at being bombarded once again. After the photographer finally walked way, Joanna kissed him soundly, surprising Mycroft at how casually she did so in front of his parents before she went back to talking to them as if she hadn't just done that. His mother threw him a knowing smile which he ignored, but a small, fond smile worked its way onto Mycroft's face as he looked at Joanna who had leaned back into him further, reclining on his chest in obvious comfort. He reached for Joanna's hand under the table and held it lightly in his. She made no indication of this fact other than squeezing his hand.

Mycroft ordered a drink for Joanna and for himself, knowing that he would need it if he was going to get through sitting with his parents. She chatted with Molly and her date Tom along with Gregory Lestrade who Mycroft thought was a respectable man. Before long she excused herself and got up to walk around the room. Mycroft watched her greet his cousin Martin and his date Douglas who were sitting in the back of the room before she made her way over to his brother and Lexi who had just finished talking with one of Mary's bride's maids. Jane…something or other. Mycroft hadn't really paid enough attention when Joanna had been talking to him about the whole thing as she had been distracting him. He smirked slightly when Joanna slung her arms around Sherlock and Lexi's shoulders, just after they had caught the happy couple in a deep kiss.

"Ah the lovebirds, how adorable," Joanna said as she walked over to Sherlock and Lexi and slug her arms across their shoulders. "And I remember a time when you were cursing his name. I would like to thank myself and the Academy for this prestigious award of being the one to shove you two crazy kids together," Joanna said, wiping away a fake tear. If she hadn't had convinced Lexi to return to London and go after Sherlock they never would have gotten back together. Lexi would have probably moved to America to join her and left Sherlock and John in London. If Lexi had left London, she would have never followed Lexi to London and then she never would have met Mycroft. Joanna threw a look over her shoulder at Mycroft and smiled at him as he looked over at her at the same time. He frowned at her questioningly and she shook her head at him slightly to let him know that it was nothing and that she was alright. He nodded at her but continued to look at her as his mother continued to talk at him.

"I think it was sort of a joint effort," Lexi told her as Sherlock watched them with an amused expression on his face. Sherlock had come to understand what Lexi's friendship with Joanna was like and he had come to find that he like Joanna. Of course he thought that she was wasting her time with his brother and on that he could fault her for, but he found her to be intelligent and funny and the two of them bantered back in forth like a bratty brother and sister would. Joanna was already considered to be part of the Holmes' family by Mummy and Papa Holmes after all. "And I hooked you up with Mycroft technically," Lexi said and Joanna hummed as she made a little face and nodded. Technically Lexi had in a way. Lexi had told her to go and see Mycroft as soon as she got to London and she had, the same day she had gotten in actually.

"You did. Course you never mentioned that I would want to kill him at first," Joanna said, with an amused smirk on her face and Sherlock chuckled as Lexi looked across at Mycroft and grinned brightly at him. Lexi looked back round but Joanna snuck a look at her fiancée and he raised an eyebrow at her. She could see the questioning look on his face, wondering what their conversation was about and Joanna gave him a look to let him know that she would explain it to him all later.

"That's not just you. That's everyone," Sherlock told her and the three of them chuckled together.

"So are we going to be having another wedding soon?" Lexi asked Joanna suddenly and Joanna sighed at having been asked the same question again. Mycroft and her had deflected Mummy's questions for now but they didn't want to kept talking about the same subject. They had been planning their wedding for some date a few weeks after Sherlock and Lexi's but nothing was completely set yet. Sherlock wrinkled his nose slightly, still not liking when they brought up the subject that Mycroft was engaged. He liked Joanna, just not the fact that she was Mycroft's fiancée.

"Do you honestly think I can get Myc out of his office long enough to marry me before he runs back to safety?" Joanna asked Lexi as she flicked her gaze over to where Mycroft was sitting with Mummy and Papa Holmes, his head in his hands as he appeared to be mumbling "Why me?" to himself quietly as his mother chattered on about something. Oh no…she was probably going on about their wedding again. "The only reason he's here today is because your parents are here," Joanna told Sherlock and she shook her head and raised an eyebrow as she looked at her fiancée. That wasn't technically the truth. He was here because he cared about Sherlock and wanted to be here for him and Lexi, but he did like his care to go unmarked. "He is more work than I am. Might need to just plan it and then tell him what day he is marrying me," Joanna said, with slight smile on her face and Sherlock and Lexi chuckled. That could work after all.

"That could work," Lexi told Joanna and she nodded before planting a kiss on each of their cheeks and lowered her arms from their shoulders. Ugh, why did everyone have to be so bloody tall? She was short, so bloody short and Sherlock was actually shorter than Mycroft. Mycroft was at least around fifteen inches taller than her. It was annoying.

"I should go rescue him. I've waited at least fifteen minutes. I think that's enough punishment for trying to kill the mood earlier and being a general drama queen," Joanna told them as she knew they would buy that. It was better for them to think that she tortured him sometimes than the fact that they really were overly affectionate with each other. She shrugged before she walked away to go rescue Mycroft. She managed to pull him away from his parents and they both got up to walk around the room, grabbing a glass of wine off of a passing waiter's tray and Mycroft nearly downed his while Joanna made a face at the taste of the white wine. Maybe the Sangria would be better.

"She refuses to accept the fact that we haven't planned our wedding yet," Mycroft told Joanna as he slipped his arm around her waist and looked down at her, setting his empty wine glass down on a passing waiter's tray and taking another full glass. He normally did not drink so much in public, but today he would be.

"Sherlock and Lexi were asking about it as well," Joanna said as she snagged a canapé off of a passing plate. She took a bite of it before giving the rest to Mycroft who chewed it contemplatively before kissing the corner of her mouth as she had a bit of the filling on her lip. Joanna hummed and wrapped her arm around his waist and rested her head on his chest, smiling up at him. "You know you can be incredibly sweet," She said as she tilted her head up to look at him. "They don't see it, but I do."

"I don't want them to see it," Mycroft told her as he wrapped his arms around her waist, glad that his brother and everyone else was distracted. He noticed that a few of the guests were watching them and shooting him knowing looks, but other than that, his brother, Lexi, Dr. Watson, and his new wife along with his parents were all currently occupied and not paying attention to them. "The only one I care to let see this side of me is you," Mycroft told her and she smiled up at him. He bent down and kissed her lightly and she deepened the kiss.

"The only one I care to see this side of me is you too," Joanna told him as they broke apart and Mycroft smiled at her softly and kissed her forehead. Mycroft actually liked the fact that she was so petite. She fitted his body perfectly as if she had been made for him and her height difference never bothered him. He knew it bothered her on occasion, mostly when she had to ask him to help her get something but he tried to assure her that it was alright. They both looked over when they heard John and Mary making exclamations of surprise and they saw a soldier walk in, in his full uniform. "Oh he did come. Mary wasn't sure if he would," Joanna said and Mycroft raised his eyebrow at her curiously.

"Who?" Mycroft asked her inquisitively.

"Major Sholto. His file is quite interesting. Lead a group of crows into battle and they all died. Only he survived. He was very injured, but the families of all the men have sent him death threats over the years. Mary didn't think he would come because he lives out in the country in the middle of nowhere with just a house staff," Joanna explained to Mycroft as she hummed slightly and tilted her head to the side.

"You've been hacking again," Mycroft commented with and amused smirk on his face.

"Just a little bit," Joanna said as she held up her fingers to show him how much. He sighed at her and she giggled and snuggled her face into his waist coat again. "I couldn't help myself. I think I looked into pretty much everyone," Joanna said as she looked around at everyone in the room. There came an announcement that dinner was going to be served and Joanna pecked him on the lips and sent him back to his table before she took her wine and went to take her seat up at the main table. She had the seat right next to Lexi and Anthea was sitting next to her. Mycroft's seat was situated perfectly so that he could see her and she waved at him as soon as she sat down.

Dinner was a rather interesting affair. Sherlock sat next to John and Lexi sat on the other side of Sherlock at the long main table that the wedding party was sitting at. Joanna sat next to her and Anthea was on her other side while Mary had Janine sitting on her other side and then the rest of her bride's maids. Sherlock and Lexi kept deducing the other guests as they ate while Joanna kept her eyes on Mycroft. She watched as his parents talked at him before Mrs. Hudson seemed to distract them. She knew it had been smart getting Mary to put them at the same table. Mycroft was engaged in conversation with Lestrade and he seemed to be having an alright time with them. He looked over at her and they engaged in their mental conversation through facial expression, sharing thoughts about other guests with one another. They ate their way through the three courses and drank copious amounts of champagne, and then the Master of Ceremonies tapped a spoon against a champagne glass to get everyone's attention. Joanna took a deep breath, crossing her fingers under the table and hoping that Sherlock's best man speech did not go horribly.

"Pray silence for the best man," The Master of Ceremonies said and the guests applauded and cheered as Sherlock rose to his feet. Mycroft got a sour look on his and Joanna rolled her eyes at him and made a face at him before looking up at Sherlock. He buttoned his jacket, looking a little uncomfortable and he looked down at Lexi. She nodded at him and smiled encouragingly at him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, family and friends ... and ... erm ... others," Sherlock started and he stopped and blinked. There was an awkward pause as Joanna saw him trying to remember what he wanted to say. Joanna closed her eyes for a moment before opening them and blinking. "Er ... w...," Sherlock said and John narrowed his eyes and looked up at him, waiting just like everyone else was. "A-a-also ...," Sherlock continued and Mary lifted a thumb to her mouth, rubbing it on her top lip. Mrs. Hudson looked nervous and Greg sat back a little, looking concerned. Mycroft sighed and threw her a look and Joanna nodded in agreement. This was going badly already.

"Telegrams," John said quietly all of a suddenly and Mary looked at him in confusion as Joanna fixed him with an inquisitive look before figuring out what he was talking about. Molly, Mrs. Hudson, Greg, and she had all had a long discussion about what would happen if Sherlock had to read out the Telegrams. Sherlock jolted out of his blankness as Lexi reached up and put a hand on his arm.

"Right, um ...," Sherlock said awkwardly as he patted his pockets and then looked down at Lexi with a pleading look in his eyes. John cleared his throat and Sherlock did likewise before looking at the guest swallowing hard. Joanna took a deep breath and when Lexi looked over at her she gave the girl a pointed look then flicked her eyes up at Sherlock. Marriage was a partnership. This was why when they were in a meeting and Mycroft got a bit flustered she took over for him.

"First things first, the Telegrams," Lexi said as she stood up next to Sherlock and handed him the stack from the table. Sherlock showed them all to the guest, visibly relaxing as Lexi leaned her head against his shoulder briefly with a grin before she looked up at Sherlock. She shared a look with Sherlock that Joanna knew meant that she was sharing a message with him and Sherlock smiled slightly at her for a brief moment before he looked back at the guests.

"Well, they're not actually telegrams. We just call them telegrams. I don't know why. Wedding tradition," Sherlock said as he lifted the first card. "...because we don't have enough of that already, apparently," Sherlock finished sarcastically as John narrowed his eyes a little. Lexi giggled as Joanna rolled her eyes at him and Sherlock smirked in triumph as Lexi shook my head at him.

"There not all that bad though," Lexi reminded him with a slight shrug and Joanna snorted. Yeah Sherlock, they weren't all bad. He probably would like at least some of them. If anything the tradition of the wedding night.

"Hmm, no, I'm sure a few of them I might enjoy," Sherlock said and Lexi slapped him playfully on the arm as the rest of the guests laughed. Joanna looked over at Mycroft and she shook her head at him while smirking brightly.

"Behave," Lexi scolded him, knowing what he was insinuating to. "Read your cards," She told him, pointing down at the Telegrams that he was holding.

""To Mr. and Mrs. Watson. So sorry I'm unable to be with you on your special day. Good luck and best wishes, Mike Stamford,"" Sherlock read out as he looked down at the first card.

"Ah, Mike," John said as Mary made an "ah" sound.

"He missed this?" Lexi asked Sherlock and he nodded at her. "He practically got us together," She complained, shaking her head ruefully. Sherlock smirked at that and then leaned down and kissed the top of her head. The guests awed at that and Joanna saw Mycroft make a disgusted expression before Sherlock breathed in deeply and read off the next card.

""To John and Mary. All good wishes for your special day. With love and many big ...," Sherlock said as he broke off and then continued slowly as he held the card up to see if he was reading it right. "...big squishy cuddles, from Stella and Ted,"" Sherlock finished and he looked up and blinked rapidly as Greg sniggered and Molly smiled. Lexi giggled madly and held her hand up to her mouth to hide it as Sherlock looked down at her and rolled his eyes, sighing in exasperation.

"What?" Sherlock asked her as they bantered back and forth like they normally would.

"Did you just say "big squishy cuddles"?" Lexi asked Sherlock, still giggling and he breathed out deeply as he closed his eyes in exasperation.

"Shut up," Sherlock told Lexi and she raised her eyebrow at him as she shook her head, a devilish smirk on her face. Joanna sat back in her seat and raised her glass of Sangria to her lips before taking an appreciative sip, liking the taste of it far better than the white wine. What was Mary thinking, it was absolutely horrid. She looked over at Mycroft and rolled her eyes and he smirked at her annoyance at Sherlock.

"Never," Lexi told him and he smirked, shaking his head at her.

"If I can get through these without any more distractions from my wife, though she is terribly distracting," Sherlock said and the guests laughed as Lexi leaned up on tiptoe and pressed a kiss to his jawline. Sherlock looked down at the next card and started reading it as she read over his shoulder. ""Mary – lots of love,..."" Sherlock started before he breathed out an almost silent 'Oh'. John and Mary looked up at him as Lexi giggled again.

"Yeah?" John asked them as Lexi shook her head, fighting off a large smile.

""...poppet ..."" Sherlock continued despairingly and Lexi giggled again as he loudly sounded the 't' at the end of the word. John and Mary giggled, realizing why she was laughing and Joanna chuckled loudly at Sherlock's facial expression, even more so at Mycroft's. ""…Oodles of love and heaps of good wishes from CAM,"" Sherlock continued and Joanna noticed that Mary's smile faded as Sherlock continued reading the message. CAM was written with all capitals so it wasn't a name, but initials. Mary knew who this CAM person was and whoever it was, it wasn't someone good. Not someone she liked certainly. Someone she was trying to avoid, to hide from even. ""Wish your family could have seen this,"" Sherlock finished and John looked round and saw Mary's face. He reached out and touched her hand as Lexi frowned slightly. CAM, who was CAM? Joanna raised her eyebrow as she tilted her head to the side, narrowing her eyes and studying the blonde bride. Okay so not family, or a friend that sent the message. An enemy given her reaction, it was only slight, hardly noticeable but Lexi had noticed it and so had John only John took it as she was upset about the mention of her family. Joanna might have to, but she had flinched even before then. Blackmail….

"Hey. Hmm?" John asked Mary and she smiled at him reassuringly. Ah, so, something she didn't want John to know. Joanna would have to discuss this with Mycroft later thought she knew that he would have caught it too. Sherlock was too focused on his speech and thus hadn't seemed to notice it, but Lexi had which meant that the two detectives would probably be investigating like she and Mycroft would be.

"Um, "special day" ...," Sherlock said as he looked at the next card before he dropped it onto the table and looked at the next one "..."very special day"...," He continued before he dropped that one and then continued working rapidly through the next ones "... "love" ... "love" ... "love" ... "love" ... "lo..."; bit of a theme – you get the gist. People are basically fond," Sherlock said and there was some laughter from the guests.

"Of course they are, this is John and Mary we're talking about. If people had actually been able to send us Telegrams…," Lexi said before looking over to Mary and John. "And I'm not complaining there," She told them before looking back at Sherlock. "…I'm sure we would have gotten as many big "squishy" cuddles as them," She said and Sherlock grimaced as the guests laughed. "People are generally fonder of them though," Lexi mused with a nod and Sherlock kissed her on the head before he continued with his best man speech, throwing Lexi a thankful look for helping him. This was more like them talking now rather than a speech.

"John Watson," Sherlock said, getting back on track as he gestured towards the army doctor. "Our friend, John Watson," He added and he looked down for a moment and then looked back up at John. "John," Sherlock said, addressing the doctor directly and John smiled at him before flicking a look over at Lexi and smiling a bit wider. Sherlock turned to his audience again as he reached down and took Lexi's hand in his, rubbing his thumb over the knuckles on my right hand. "When John first broached the subject of being best man, I was confused," Sherlock said and Joanna snorted at that, recalling what Lexi had told her had happened when John had asked Sherlock to be his best man. "I confess at first I didn't realize he was asking me. When finally I understood, I expressed to him that I was both flattered and ... surprised," Sherlock told the guests and Joanna shook her head and looked over at Mycroft who was sighing in exasperation. "I explained to him that I'd never expected this request and I was a little daunted in the face of it. I nonetheless promised that I would do my very best to accomplish a task which was – for me – as demanding and difficult as any I had ever contemplated save for asking Lexi to marry me," Sherlock continued as he looked down at Lexi and she smiled up at him fondly as he bent down and pressed a kiss to her forehead before straightening and continuing. "Additionally, I thanked him for the trust he'd placed in me ...," Sherlock said as John frowned, unable to remember this conversation for good reason, as Lexi had told her, it never happened. "...and indicated that I was, in some ways, very close to being ... moved by it. It later transpired that I had said none of this out loud as Lexi informed me in full," Sherlock said and John laughed along with Lexi who hugged Sherlock around the waist and put her head on his chest as some of the guest joined in.

Sherlock reached into his jacket pocket, clearing his throat, and taking out a handful of cue cards, looking at each one and putting it onto the table as he talked to himself. "Done that. ... Done that ... Done that bit ... Done that bit ... Done that bit ... Hmm ...," Sherlock hummed as he showed Lexi each of his cards and waited for her to nod before he skipped past them. He looked up at the guests again, then turned to John after getting Lexi's nod of approval. "I'm afraid, John, I can't congratulate you," Sherlock said as Mary looked surprised and John looked up at him. Lexi leaned in to him as he spoke and he wrapped his arm tightly around her waist. "As Lexi has always known, all emotions, and in particular love, stand opposed to the pure, cold reason I hold above all things," Sherlock said as he turned to look at the guests. "Lexi has always been the one exception in my life however and I can say I now understand the emotion of love," Sherlock said as he leaned down and kissed her, a slight peck on the lips. "A wedding is, in my considered opinion, nothing short of a celebration of all that is false and specious and irrational and sentimental in this ailing and morally compromised world," Sherlock said and Lexi snorted, rolling her eyes up at him. The guests began to look uncomfortable and some of them started murmuring quietly to each other. Greg and Molly looked at Sherlock in horror as Mycroft glared at his brother and gave him the "What have you done?" sort of expression. Sherlock had just made and utter fuck up in all but a few words. Joanna put her head in her hands and just waited for it to all be over. "Today we honour the death-watch beetle that is the doom of our society and, in time – one feels certain – our entire species," Sherlock continued and the guests stared at him as silence fell over the room. Sherlock paused for a moment.

"You got married too!" Lestrade suddenly shouted and Sherlock nodded in agreement as Lexi shrugged.

"Yes, in fact I have," Sherlock said as he looked down at Lexi with a fond smile on his face. "I have a lovely wife too however Lexi and I have never been normal and thus the normal rules of marriage do not apply to us," Sherlock told Lestrade before continuing. "But anyway ...," Sherlock said as he looked down at his cards and then showed them to Lexi. She hummed slightly as she saw what he was up to. "...let's talk about John."

"Please," John said quietly and Lexi rolled her eyes slightly in exasperation. Sherlock looked up again, bringing Lexi in front of him and hugging her around the waist as he rested his chin on top of her head before continuing.

"If we burden ourselves with a little help-mate during our adventures, it is not out of sentiment or caprice – it is that he has many fine qualities of his own that he has overlooked in his obsession with us," Sherlock said and Lexi giggled quietly as Greg laughed silently at his table. "Indeed, any reputation I have for mental acuity and sharpness comes, in truth, from the extraordinary contrast John so selflessly provides Lexi and myself," Sherlock said and John sighed heavily while Mary frowned, looking at Lexi in confusion. Lexi raised her eyebrow at Mary slightly before looking back at the guests. "It is a fact, I believe, that brides tend to favor exceptionally plain bridesmaids for their big day. There is a certain analogy there, I feel," Sherlock said and Janine stared up at him and the other two bridesmaids looked uncomfortable.

"I'm fucking fabulous thank you!" Joanna said, speaking up from beside Lexi where she had been quietly listening while plotting with Anthea during dinner. She had no clue what Sherlock was talking about. She looked fucking fabulous and if the looks Mycroft keep sending her were any indication he definitely liked what he saw. She and Anthea were both rather amused at how Mycroft was being forced to sit alone with his parents right now while they sat up at the main table together. The guests laughed at her sudden outburst, but Sherlock rolled his eyes.

"Because you are my maid of honour and Anthea and you are more like sisters than bridesmaids," Lexi told Joanna with a laugh and she nodded in approval before sitting back to listen to the rest of the speech that was still going to hell in a hand basket but at least it was determined that she was not plain and looked fucking fabulous today because she had worked really hard on her hair.

"...but contrast is, after all, God's own plan to enhance the beauty of his creation ...," Sherlock said pointedly, trying to prove his point and the vicar smiled. "...or it would be if God were not a ludicrous fantasy designed to provide a career opportunity for the family idiot," Sherlock finished as Mary face-palmed and John half-hid behind his clasped hands. Joanna closed her eyes and shook her head, not even knowing why she bothered any more. The vicar looked at Sherlock grimly, and more guests were muttering amongst themselves. Sherlock paused for a moment which was when Lexi brought her hand up and smacked him roughly on the back of his head. Joanna smirked at that and caught Mycroft chuckling beside his mother.

"Woman!" Sherlock shouted as some of the guests chuckled and the others smirked behind their hands. "Will you stop that?!" Sherlock asked Lexi and she raised an eyebrow at him as she turned in his arms to look at him and he held her hands in both of his own to stop her from hitting him again.

"I will when you stop being rude," Lexi told him as she shook her head, her Irish accent coming out thickly.

"That would be the day that hell freezes over sister mine," Mycroft told Lexi and she looked to him, nodding a bit. Mummy took this moment to smack Mycroft in the back of the head and Joanna nearly choked on her wine, setting her glass down quickly in front of her as Anthea rubbed her back with a large grin on her face.

"Don't be rude yourself Mike," Mummy scolded him and the guests all laughed as he rubbed his head, Joanna laughing hysterically beside Lexi as Anthea continued to rub her back to try and get her to calm down. Oh dear lord there was nothing more amazing than Mycroft getting smacked by his mother.

"And I was just coming over there to smack him myself," Joanna announced which made Mycroft look slightly thankful that his mother had been then one to hit him instead. After all Joanna had a wicked backhand.

"The point I'm trying to make…," Sherlock said as he took back control of the room and took to hugging Lexi again rather than detaining her. "…is that I am the most unpleasant, rude, ignorant and all-round obnoxious arsehole that anyone could possibly have the misfortune to meet," Sherlock finished and Lexi looked up at him, frowning a bit.

"Well, I wouldn't say that," Lexi told him quietly so that only he could hear her, but Joanna caught it with her better hearing due to being an intelligence agent and he smiled at her slightly before he looked at the vicar and continued.

"I am dismissive of the virtuous ...," Sherlock said before he looked down at Lexi again. "... blinding unaware of the beautiful...," Sherlock told Lexi and she giggled slightly as he swooped down and captured her lips with his own. Joanna smiled at them fondly and rolled her eyes at Mycroft who made a disgruntled face. "Can you believe I married this woman?" Sherlock asked the guests who all awed over them and smiled at their happiness. Mycroft rolled his eyes but Lexi gave him a pointed look before flicking his gaze over to Joanna. She smiled at Mycroft fondly and he returned it slightly. Sherlock turned towards Mary and John as Lexi grinned in contentment in the circle of Sherlock's arms. "…I'm also uncomprehending in the face of the happy. So if I didn't understand I was being asked to be best man, it is because I, like Lexi, never expected to be anybody's best friend," Sherlock said and the guests fell silent again as they listened to Sherlock intently. Joanna noticed that Molly and Greg exchanged a long glance before she turned back to Mary and John and focused on them and Sherlock and Lexi. "Certainly not the best friend of the bravest and kindest and wisest human being we have ever had the good fortune of knowing. I cannot count Lexi in this category as she has always been more than a friend to me. She does however agree with me on these views John," Sherlock said as Mary smiled proudly at her husband. Several of the guests made appreciative "aww" sounds. "John, as Lexi would no doubt agree with me saying, but then again she did marry me, I am a ridiculous man...," Sherlock said and John smiled and nodded his agreement as Lexi shook her head and laughed lightly, patting Sherlock's hands. "...redeemed only by the warmth and constancy of your friendship and the love that Lexi has so graciously bestowed upon me, both of which there can be no higher honour than receiving. But, as I'm apparently your best friend, I cannot congratulate you on your choice of companion," Sherlock said and he looked down for a moment at Lexi and then smiled a little. "Actually, now I can," Sherlock continued and the guests murmured again, but now their tone was much more approving. John and Mary smiled as Lexi nuzzled her head into Sherlock's chest affectionately. "Mary, when I say you deserve this man, it is the highest compliment of which I am capable. John, you have endured war, and injury, and tragic loss ...," Sherlock said and we both leaned in closer to John at that, me because I had to go with Sherlock. "... so sorry again about that last one ...," Sherlock said as he and Lexi straightened up again.

"We both are," Lexi told John as she gave the army doctor a small smile.

"...so know this, today you sit between the woman you have made your wife and the man and woman you have saved – in short, the three people who love you most in all this world. And I know I speak for Mary and Lexi as well when I say we will never let you down, and we have a lifetime ahead to prove that," Sherlock finished and Mrs. Hudson whimpered and held a tissue to her nose. Molly wiped tears from her eyes with her serviette. Other guests, even some of the men, sniffled. John turned to Mary and whispered to her but Joanna could still make out what he was saying as she flicked her gaze over to Mycroft and the two of them shared a long look. They had to agree, Sherlock was doing a rather fine job with his speech, even if the first few minutes of it were iffy.

"If I try and hug them, stop me," John told Mary and she shook her head slightly.

"Certainly not," Mary told him and she patted his arm as Sherlock moved on to his next card, holding it out in front of Lexi so he could read it over his head. His best man speech sort of turned into their speech for John. That was how it should be though and how Sherlock had wanted it in the first place according to Lexi. It had always been the three of them from the very beginning, the trio, the Baker Street Irregulars, Lexi MacKenna and her Baker Street Boys.

"Ah, yes. Now on to some funny stories about John ...," Sherlock said and he trailed off as he looked up over Lexi's head and saw so many of the guests crying. "What's wrong? What happened? Why are you all doing that? John?" Sherlock asked quickly as Molly smiled at him proudly. "Lexi?" Sherlock asked her as she turned in his arms and put her hand on his cheek, rubbing his cheek bone. He frowned down at Lexi, leaning into my touch however.

"Oh, Sherlock!" Mrs. Hudson said tearfully as Sherlock's frown deepened.

"Did I do it wrong?" Sherlock asked Lexi before looking at John and Lexi shook her head at him with a large grin on her face as Joanna sniffled slightly. Anthea handed her a handkerchief and she accepted it and dabbed at her eyes so she wouldn't mess up her makeup which Anthea had worked so hard on for her.

"No, you didn't," John said as he stood up. "Both of you, come here," John told them before he pulled Sherlock and Lexi into a tight hug. The guest broke into applause as Lexi pressed a kiss to John's cheek.

"We love you, you know," Lexi told John quietly and he nodded into her shoulder. Sherlock and Lexi loved John Watson as if he was a brother, the same way Lexi loved her like a sister and she and Mycroft loved Anthea like she was family. Family came in all different sorts.

"We haven't finished yet," Sherlock told John on the other side of him.

"Yeah, I know, I know," John told us as Lexi squeezed him a bit tighter before he released them and Sherlock held up his next card, talking over the applause.

"So, on to some funny stories ...," Sherlock said as he wrapped his arms around Lexi again.

"Can you – can you wait 'til I sit down?" John asked him and Sherlock nodded above Lexi's head as the applause continued. Lexi giggled and leaned up on tip toes, kissing Sherlock soundly for a moment as John sat down, clearing his throat, and the applause finally faded as Sherlock and Lexi broke their kiss which was partially why John cleared his throat.

"So, on to some funny stories about John," Sherlock said and John chuckled as Sherlock looked at the guests over the top of Lexi's head. "If you could all just cheer up a bit, that would ...," Sherlock said and the guests all laughed "...be better," Sherlock finished as Lexi looked up at him.

"I could always tell them that one story about when…," Lexi began before John cut her off.

"No, dear God no!" John said and Mary chuckled brightly.

"Wait, that one?" Joanna asked Lexi, frowning slightly. She couldn't be talking about the one when Sherlock and John had dressed in drag to get into a club with Lexi. Lexi nodded at her and Joanna broke down into giggles. Oh that one had been amazing. She had helped get John and Sherlock ready too. Sherlock actually didn't look that bad as a woman. John actually looked surprisingly attractive and he got hit on all night and men kept trying to grind on him as Lexi put it. Joanna had gone with them as it was for an important case, one that involved one of their government cases too. That meant that Mycroft had also joined them. Joanna had made him up herself and he looked fabulous. She had joked around telling him that if all women looked like him that she certainly would be a lesbian. He wasn't amused by her joke, but they had certainly turned a lot of men's heads that night. Mycroft did not care that he looked like a woman and refused to act like he was not in a relationship with her. "No, probably best not to," Joanna finally agreed, making a face as she looked over at Mycroft and shook her head. Probably best to not share that story with Mummy and Papa Holmes here. Lexi shrugged her shoulders, a lot more comfortable with sharing that story with them there than she was.

"Fine," Lexi said as the guests looked at them in confusion.

"On we go then," Sherlock said as he kissed the top of Lexi's head affectionately. "So, for funny stories ...," Sherlock said as he let go of her briefly to reach into his pocket and take out his phone "...one has to look no further than John's blog," Sherlock said holding up his phone in front of Lexi as he wrapped his arms around her again. John laughed as Lexi wrinkled her nose slightly. "The record of our time together. Of course, he does tend to romanticise things a bit, but then, you know ...," Sherlock said as he looked down at John and Mary and half-winked at them "...he's a romantic."

"Watching him trying to purpose is painful though. I should know. I was there the first time," Lexi said and the guests all laughed.

"That would have gone perfectly if you two hadn't ruined it," John said tetchily and Lexi looked down at him, raising her eyebrow slightly. Joanna snorted at that and rolled her eyes. One she did not think it would have gone perfectly the first time as John could be awkward and second of all watching him could be extremely painful.

"I'm sorry, I thought us being alive was important to tell you," Lexi told John pointedly and he backed down slightly as Mary laughed. "Course, you did try to murder my husband. Upon reflection that didn't go exactly as we planned," She said with a shrug and Greg, Molly, and Mrs. Hudson made noises of agreement. "Still better than popping out of a cake though," Lexi added and she looked up at Sherlock as he smirked down at her and hummed in agreement.

"Hmm, exceedingly better," Sherlock told Lexi before they got back on track. "The three of us, John, Lexi, and I, have tackled some strange cases: the Hollow Client ...," Sherlock started and Lexi tilted her head to the side thoughtfully at the remembrance of that case. "...the Poison Giant ...," Sherlock continued to list off and Lexi nodded in agreement and Joanna raised her eyebrow, remembering that case. "We've had some frustrating cases ...," Sherlock said and Lexi snorted and rolled her eyes in amusement. Frustrating was one way of putting it apparently from the way John put it on his blog. "...'touching' cases ...," Sherlock said rolling his eyes and Lexi laughed slightly at that. "... and of course I have to mention the elephant in the room," Sherlock told everyone and Lexi clasped her hand over her mouth to fight back a peel of laughter. Lexi had been incredibly happy about that case, especially when she finally found the mime. "But we want something ... very particular for this special day, don't we?" Sherlock asked as he looked down at Lexi and then at his phone. He handed it to her and she scrolled down and opened one of the pages on John's blog. They raised their eyes again to the guests as Lexi smiled slightly.

"One of my personal favourites of the last few of our cases," Lexi told the room as she handed Sherlock back his mobile.

"The Bloody Guardsman," Sherlock and Lexi said in unison before they looked over at John whose eyes widened in surprise. It was one of the most interesting cases that they had seen so far and one that Sherlock and Lexi were still looking into. Joanna raised her wine glass and downed the rest of it before Anthea passed her another glass. Joanna saluted Mycroft with it and he saluted her with his own before they each took a long drink of their wine. This was going to be a long wedding…a very, very long wedding.


	25. A Game Of Murder

A lot more wine had been drunk, a lot more. They had gotten through Lexi and Sherlock retelling of the Bloody Guardsman case and their misadventures of the Stag Night and finally had gotten through their explanation of the Mayfly Man. It was, all in all, the longest best man speech Joanna had ever heard and while it was touch and endearing she was frankly quite bored and wanted nothing more than to get up from her seat, go over to her own fiancée, and snog him senseless in front of his parents and the entire reception room. Maybe she should lay off the wine a tad bit. She set her glass down on the table and picked up her water instead and Anthea expertly moved her wine glass out of her reach. Joanna nodded at her gratefully and Anthea smiled knowingly. It was just one of those days, and one of those days when she was separated by a room full of people from Mycroft which wasn't making anything better. She looked over at him and saw that he was suffering in much the same way as he looked bored and tortured and about ready to jump out of his seat. He huffed as she watched him and she smiled at him endearingly and blew him a kiss which he sat up a little straighter afterwards. Joanna lolled her head back to the side and sipped her water as she continued to listen to Sherlock go on about the Mayfly Man.

"Married. Obvious, really. Our Mayfly Man was trying to escape the suffocating chains of domesticity..." Sherlock said and Lexi snorted slightly as John grimaced and shook his head while Mary widened her eyes briefly and then smiled at him. "...and instead of endless nights in watching the telly or going to barbecues with awful dreadful boring people he couldn't stand, he used his wits, cleverness and powers of disguise ...," Sherlock said before he finally took a breath, and smiled slightly "... to play the field. He was ...," Sherlock continued before he stopped when he realized that he had lost his audience again. The guests looked silently back at him and he looked down to their right to see John looking back at him straight-faced and Mary wrinkling her nose and shaking her head slightly.

"Sweetie, rethink that a bit before you speak again," Lexi told him before she reached up on tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. Sometimes he got just a little bit carried away, a lot carried away in this case if the almost hour long speech was anything to go by.

"Lexi's right as always. On second thoughts I probably should have told you about the Elephant in the Room. However, it does help to further illustrate how invaluable John is to me. I can read a crime scene the way he can understand a human being. I used to think that's what made me special – quite frankly, I still do. Lexi however ends up doing both. She can read a crime scene and people far better than the two of us somehow. But a word to the wise, should any of you require the services of the three of us, Lexi and I will solve your murder, but it takes John Watson and Lexi to save your life. Trust me on that – I should know. They've saved mine so many times, and in so many ways. Lexi has from the very beginning done a bit of both and without her I think John and I would have failed in many of our endeavours," Sherlock said and John nodded in agreement. "She's certainly saved John and I enough times," Sherlock said before he held up his phone. "This blog is the story of three friends and their frankly ridiculous adventures ...," Sherlock said and he smiled as Lexi looked at him and John fondly and the guests all chuckled. "...of murder, mystery and mayhem," Sherlock continued before he looked down at Lexi and chuckled. "There's even lots of ridiculous moments when Lexi used her shoes as projectiles or fought Chinese assassins," Sherlock said and the rest of the guests chuckled as Lexi smacked him on the arm and smiled, laughing slightly as he kissed the top of her head. "But from now on, there's a new story – a bigger adventure," Sherlock said and he looked down at Lexi. "And one that I am glad to say that I am able to embark upon as well," Sherlock continued before they both looked down at the other newlyweds who smiled happily up at them. "Ladies and gentlemen, pray charge your glasses and be upstanding," Sherlock told the guests as Sherlock and Lexi picked up their glasses and Joanna picked hers up as well, a proud smile on her face for the four of them as she stood up with the other guests while the photographer walked forward with his camera. "Today begin the adventures of Mary Elizabeth Watson and John Hamish Watson," Sherlock said, raising his glass and John sighed a little, while Mary giggled. Lexi looked at John and shook her head with a fond smile on her face. "And as hardly anyone knew of mine and Lexi's nuptials today, the two reasons why every single one of us is ...," Sherlock said before he stopped, freezing in place and staring blindly towards the guests. Lexi stopped and blinked slowly as Joanna frowned in confusion, watching the both of them. She looked across to Mycroft for an explanation and he gave her a warning look. Something was about to happen. The photographer snapped several photos of Sherlock and Lexi, but the popping flashbulb didn't make either of them react. Sherlock and Lexi fingers suddenly loosened slightly in surprise and their champagne glasses slipped out of their fingers and crashed to the floor while all the while Joanna could tell that behind their eyes something was going on in those brains of theirs. In the span of only several microseconds Joanna saw them work something out. Of course she never was truly surprised as she had seen Lexi work extremely quickly under pressure before, much in the same manner of how she could figure out an attack strategy in under a second when under fire. "... here today," Sherlock said aloud at the reception as our champagne glasses smashed on the floor at our feet and we looked down at them. "Ooh, sorry. We ...," Sherlock said as he suddenly raised his head and Lexi looked up and turned to look at him.

"Assumer la position," [Assume the position] Lexi whispered to Sherlock in French and Joanna caught that and closed her eyes, cursing under her breath as Sherlock nodded at her slightly before he looked down at the floor, making an exasperated noise and clearing his throat. The Master of Ceremonies/Head Waiter hurried over to them as Joanna shot a look over to Mycroft to let him know that they were headed into DEFCON one. She already had planned for several possible scenarios that might play out at this wedding because she knew it could never be just a normal day. Also she had to account for the fact that Mycroft was going to be there and Sherlock and Lexi and the three of them had enough death threats put together as it was.

"Another glass, sir, ma'am?" The Master of Ceremonies asked the newly married detectives and Lexi nodded at him.

"Thank you, yes. Thank you, yes," Sherlock told him as he took one of the glasses from him and Lexi squeezed his hand to calm him down.

"Thanks," Lexi told him as she took her own glass and they looked out at the guests. Joanna watched as they got that look in their eyes again as they looked over at Mycroft. Sherlock and Lexi looked around suddenly, thinking frantically by their expressions. Lexi squeezed Sherlock's hand again and Sherlock's eyes flickered back and forth between unfocused and focused as Joanna watched them closely. All of a suddenly Lexi closed her eyes as Sherlock got a spaced out expression while staring over at his brother. Mrs. Hudson and Greg looked a little anxious as they held their glasses up and Greg looked at Mrs. H and frowned before he looked across at Joanna questioningly. She shook her head at him slightly still figuring out what was going on for herself.

"Ah, yes. Raising glasses and standing up. Very good. Thank you," Sherlock said aloud suddenly, shaking his head a little as if clearing his head and Joanna twitched her fingers, reaching slightly for her thigh which currently had her gun strapped to it. The muscle in her eyebrow twitched and she caught Mycroft's eye and he held his hand out towards her and motioned for her to calm down. She nodded at him, but continued to stay on edge, waiting for something to happen. Mycroft sent Sherlock and Lexi a stern look and Lexi raised her eyebrow at him while Sherlock raised both hands and gestured downwards. "And down again," Sherlock told everyone and Lexi nodded at him as he sought for her approval. Confused, the guests started to sit down, murmuring amongst themselves and Joanna sat down again so as not to look odd, her back rigid however as she scanned the room with one eyebrow raised, watching all of the guests closely. Sherlock looked at them all in the same manner for a moment, then put his glass down on the table and straightened up as Lexi put her glass down beside his and he tightened his grip around her waist. "Ladies and gentlemen, people tell you not to milk a good speech – get off early, leave 'em laughing. Wise advice I'll certainly try to bear in mind. But for now ...," Sherlock said and he kissed Lexi's head before he let go of her waist and put one hand on the table and quickly jumped over to the other side. The guests gasped in surprise as Joanna sighed in exasperation. Here we bloody go. "...part two." Sherlock finished before he turned back to Lexi.

"My favourite part of this entire speech. Yup, one more coming over," Lexi said and the guests gasped again as she pole vaulted herself over the table much like he had only she was far more impressive as she was in a dress and heels. Sherlock steadied Lexi on the other side and took her hand in his before they started to walk into the central aisle between the tables.

"Part two is more action-based. We're gonna ... walk around, shake things up a bit," Sherlock told everyone as he kept Lexi close to him.

"Like we did in Madrid. Of course that ended a bit badly," Lexi remarked and Sherlock smirked at her as they looked at each person in the room. Joanna closed her eyes and watched the room carefully, looking for any guest who was acting in anyway odd.

"Who'd go to a wedding? That's the question. Who would bother to go to any lengths to get themselves to a wedding?" Sherlock asked everyone as he and Lexi made it two thirds of the way along the room and then turned around. "Well, everyone," Sherlock said and he clapped his hands once as Lexi smirked at him.

"Obviously. Especially John and Mary's wedding," Lexi said and Sherlock kissed the side of her head before he slipped his arm around her waist again.

"Weddings are great! Love a wedding," Sherlock said and Lexi giggled slightly as she leaned on him.

"So do I. Love them in fact husband. Weddings are so brilliant we got married twice," Lexi said and a few people who weren't privy to that information gasped in shock. "Nice little ceremony, just the two of us the first time but this one was a lot better. Our friends and family here and John, can't get married without John," She said as Mary leaned in towards the aforementioned army doctor.

"What are they doing?" Mary asked John quietly so as not to alarm the other guests. Lexi closed her eyes briefly as Joanna looked over at the army doctor and his wife and gave John and pointed look which the army doctor still wasn't skilled enough to pick up on. "Something's wrong. Lexi's calculating," John said, watching Sherlock and Lexi in concern and Lexi looked back at him over her shoulder and tried to send him a reassuring look.

"And John's great, too! Haven't said that enough. Barely scratched the surface. I could go on all night about the depth and complexity of his ... jumpers ...," Sherlock said pointing towards him as he and Lexi headed back along the room.

"I love to steal them…course it's a bit more difficult now. Have to break into his house which is just tedious though not entirely impossible. You might want to look into getting different locks," Lexi told Mary and John and John closed his eyes in disbelief while Sherlock let go of her after kissing the side of her head. Out on the floor Sherlock started pacing and turning back and forth, peering at each of the male guests. Joanna picked up on it and noticed that it was only the male guests that Sherlock and Lexi were studying. She started scanning each of them while beside them she started seeing their information come up that she had hacked and found out about each of them.

"... and he can cook. Does ... a ... thing ... thing with peas ...," Sherlock said and Joanna could see that he was stalling for time so that he and Lexi could figure it out. John and Mary exchanged a puzzled glance as Sherlock continued to pace and look closely at the guests. "...once. Might not be peas. Might not be him. No, it was Lexi. She always cooks. Was it peas? No, potatoes, it was potatoes. But he's got a great singing voice ... or somebody does. No, that's Lexi again. She's an excellent singer. Should definitely have her sing sometime. MMM, no, scratch that," Sherlock said and he sighed in frustration and clenched his teeth as he stopped beside Lexi. "Ahh, too many, too many, too many, too many!" Sherlock said and he grimaced angrily as Joanna watched him and Lexi exchange a few glance before Lexi cupped Sherlock's face in her hands and turned him to look at her. He returned with a look of his own and Lexi kissed his forehead before pulling back and making him look right at her, giving him a firm look before she slid her hands down his arms and grasped his hands in hers. He nodded once and then slipped his arms around her waist. He nodded and took a deep breath.

"Sorry. Too many jokes about John! Now, er ...," Sherlock said as Joanna watched them and saw that Sherlock was slightly losing it. She threw a concerned look over to Mycroft and he nodded at her, noticing that something was seriously too. "Speech!" Sherlock announced in the reception room and he pointed towards the top table, grinning round at the guests. "Speech," Sherlock repeated and he clapped his hands together again. "Let's talk about ...," Sherlock said as he and Lexi turned and looked at each other.

"...murder," Sherlock and Lexi said in unison in the reception room and John sighed and lowered his head, while Mary frowned. Joanna in took a deep breath and her hand immediately went to her second gun which was taped up under the table. She had planted it there earlier in case anything happened at the reception and she had her second one on her, not in the easiest of access, but on her in case she had needed it at the ceremony.

"Sorry, did we say 'murder'? We meant to say 'marriage' – but, you know, they're quite similar procedures when you think about it. The participants tend to know each other, and it's over when one of them's dead," Sherlock said and he emphatically sounded the'd' at the end of the word. Again John sighed and lowered his head. "In fairness, murder is a lot quicker, though," Sherlock said and Lexi giggled at that and kissed the side of his mouth. "Though I find that I quite like marriage," Sherlock told the guests and he kissed the side of Lexi's head as he pulled her to his side tightly. "Janine!" Sherlock said suddenly and she looks up at the detectives a little wide-eyed.

"Yes you, hello. It's nice to have someone else who is Irish at this wedding," Lexi told Janine and she grinned at her as Sherlock rolled his eyes. Lexi snorted in amusement and kissed his cheek.

"What about this one?" Sherlock asked Janine as the two detectives walked over to stand behind one of the male guests. "Acceptably hot?" Sherlock asked her and he grinned at her then looked at the woman sitting beside the man. "More importantly, his girlfriend's wearing brand-new uncomfortable underwear ...," Sherlock said and Lexi looked over the top part of the woman's dress, where the seam of her ill-fitting bra, or whatever she was wearing underneath, was visible through the material; then Lexi looked across to a thread on the man's jacket "...and hasn't bothered to pick this thread off the top of his jacket ...," Sherlock continued as Lexi looked at the smudge on the man's neck "...or point out the grease smudge on the back of his neck. Currently, he's going home alone," Sherlock said as Sherlock slipped Lexi's mobile into her hand and him and her both rapidly typed onto their phones with their thumbs behind their backs. "Also, he's a comics and sci-fi geek. They're always tremendously grateful – really put the hours in," Sherlock chuckled, causing enough of a distraction that no one even noticed when Mycroft got up and managed to get Mummy and Papa Holmes out of the hall like Lexi asked him too. He threw a look over at Joanna before he left the room and she nodded at him to let him know that she had control of the room and nothing was going to happen with him gone. She wanted Mummy and Papa Holmes out of the direct line of fire in case something was about to happen as the rest of the guest could take action, but it was three less people she had to worry about right now. Now it was only Sherlock, Lexi, John, Mary, and Anthea. "Geoff, the gents," Sherlock said as he and Lexi both looked across to Greg and Sherlock jerked his head towards the door. "The loos, now, please."

"It's Greg," Lestrade corrected him irritatedly.

"The loos, please," Sherlock told him again and Lexi gave Greg a very pointed look and nudged her head towards the door as Greg's phone beeped two text alerts.

"Why?" Lestrade asked as he reached into his pocket.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's your turn," Sherlock told him and he jerked his head towards the door again, grimacing. Greg looked down at his phone before changing his tune and he looked over at Joanna who sent him a pointed look and nodded him. She had already filled him in on her plan of what was to happen if they had to lock the place down. First he did that, then he was to see to Mycroft for her. That was nonnegotiable for her because she had to assured that Mycroft was safe.

"Yeah, actually, now you mention it ...," Lestrade said and he stood up as Lexi slid her phone back over to Sherlock and Sherlock pocketed the both of them. The one thing wedding dresses didn't have, pockets. They really needed pockets. So did bride's maids dresses. Pockets because she had to carry things to like her mobile which was currently with Mycroft and her gun which was not in easy access at all.

"Sherlock, Lexi, any chance of a – an end date for this speech? I've still gotta give mine and we've gotta cut the cake," John said and while Greg headed out of the door, Sherlock smiled widely and the two detectives danced down the aisle together as Lexi laughed brightly and hung onto him when they stopped suddenly.

"Oh! Ladies and gentlemen, can't stand it when we finally get the chance to speak for once," Sherlock said before the two detectives looked directly at John.

"Vatican Cameos," They said in unison, saying them in a conversational way as if they were a natural part of the sentence. John straightened up in his chair and Lexi nodded at him slightly, just enough for him to get the hint. Joanna shook her head and clenched her jaw as her lips formed a tight line. Anthea looked over at her and

"Merde," [Shit] Joanna swore before Lexi saw her reach under the table and grabbed her gun that was hidden under it. Lexi looked away from her grinning slightly as Anthea tensed beside her, seeing what she was doing. Joanna placed her free hand on Anthea's elbow to let her know that everything was going to be alright.

"What did they say? What's that mean?" Mary asked John as Lexi turned her head to look at them and tried to send John a look to let him know what was going on. Unfortunately he was never as good at reading her expressions as Sherlock was. That did not help them at all right now. Joanna sat completely tense in her seat while still trying to look completely fine so as not to alert anyone else.

"Battle stations. Someone's gonna die," John told Mary quietly, tugging the bottom of his waistcoat down.

"What!?" Mary asked in shock and Joanna reached across John and put a hand on her arm as John put his hand over Mary's, silently shushing her. Joanna looked at Lexi and then jerked her head towards Sherlock to let her know to take care of things. Lexi nodded once at her, enough for her to know that she understood, but not enough to alert anyone else.

"Relax, Lexi already has Mycroft in the hall, their parents are already safe, Greg is closing the place off, and Sherlock and Lexi are already on the case and figuring it out. Give them a few minutes," Joanna told John and Mary and Lexi smiled slightly as she turned back to Sherlock, touched by Joanna's confidence in them. Sherlock and Lexi turned to look at the guests. Well it looked like she was going to get to use her skills after all. Joanna looked up at the detectives as Sherlock grimaced, his eyes screwed tightly shut. He blinked, lowering his head and screwing his eyes shut again. Lexi looked up at him, her hand tightly holding Sherlock's. Sherlock suddenly roared loudly with frustration and rage and slapped himself hard on the right cheek. Joanna blinked and looked up at them before taking a deep breath to calm her jumpiness.

"Shut up," Lexi suddenly yelled before she turned towards Sherlock as he loudly and angrily shouted "No!" and slapped his left cheek and Joanna realized that they were trying to figure it out but the pressure was mounting on them and was getting to be too much. Someone was about to get murdered and they had to figure out who and how.

"No!" Sherlock shouted again loudly and angrily and Lexi grabbed his hands and held them in hers before he could slap himself again. By now the guests were whispering amongst themselves and watching them all closely as Joanna held onto Anthea's hand tightly under the table to comfort her as Anthea looked terrified at knowing something was about to happen.

"Love, me, focus on me. Now, who do we know it can't be? We made files on every single wedding guest. We knew who was coming to the wedding so, how do we narrow it down?" Lexi asked Sherlock and Joanna listened to them as they turned around. Sherlock angrily pointed upwards with the index fingers of both hands, but the tension in his shoulders was slightly softened.

"Not you! Not you!" Sherlock said loudly and he slipped his hand into Lexi's again and took a deep breath, his shoulders relaxing completely. He kissed the side of Lexi's head as he calmed down and lowered his hand a little to point his fingers towards the top table. "You," Sherlock said quieter and John straightened again, looking back at them. "It's always you. John Watson, you keep us right," Sherlock said as he and Lexi walked towards him, Sherlock now pointing at him with just one hand.

"You always have," Lexi told John and he stood as they walked up to the table. "You've always managed to keep us right."

"What do I do?" John asked the both of them and Lexi smiled at him.

"Well, you've already done it. Don't solve the murder," Sherlock told John and Lexi smiled at Sherlock as Lexi turned to him. "Save the life," Sherlock finished intensely and Lexi looked at John encouragingly.

"You once saved mine because you didn't let me down. You can do the same now," Lexi told the army doctor and he nodded at her. Sherlock drew in a sharp breath through his nose before he and Lexi turned towards the guests again with manic grins on their faces.

"Sorry. Off-piste a bit. Back now," Sherlock said his voice going slightly high pitched and Joanna breathed in deeply and shut off the caring part of her, having to set aside her sentimental side right now that was worried about Mycroft because he was out of her sight. She needed to focus, just for a little bit. "Phew!" Sherlock said and he clapped his hands together and looked down at the floor.

"We tend to get a bit carried away sometimes, but that's just us, we are brilliant you know," Lexi said and Sherlock smirked at her as John sighed behind them in exasperation. "Back on the subject though…," Lexi said nodding at Sherlock and they both looked at each other with a manic grin.

"Let's play a game," Sherlock started and her and Lexi raised their eyes while lowering their heads a little more, staring intensely out into the room.

"Let's play Murder," Sherlock and Lexi said in unison and behind them, John sat down again. Joanna sighed out heavily and shook her head at the detectives ruefully with a small smirk on her face. Sherlock prowled forward as Lexi walked beside him, his eyes flickering around the room at the guests as Lexi looked at each of them in turn, studying them all.

"Sherlock, Lexi," Mrs. Hudson scolded them both disapprovingly

"Imagine someone's going to get murdered at a wedding," Sherlock said, steepling his hands in front of his chin as he and Lexi progressed forward and she smiled at him. "Who exactly would you pick?" Sherlock asked as Lexi adopted her own thinking pose, steepling her index fingers across her lips in a shush gesture.

"The bride and groom? A guest? They're all perfect targets," Lexi suggested and Sherlock hummed in agreement, lowering his hands and wrapping them around her waist. Lexi lowered her hands instantly and put them over his, smiling at him as he rested his chin on top of her head, still studying all of the guests with the utmost scrutiny.

"I think you two are a popular choice at the moment, dears," Mrs. Hudson told them both and Lexi snorted at her and rolled her eyes slightly as Joanna nodded in amusement and agreement.

"If someone could move Mrs. Hudson's glass just slightly out of reach, that would be lovely," Sherlock said as he gestured behind them. "More importantly, who could you only kill at a wedding?" Sherlock asked and he looked down at Lexi. She frowned slightly and raised her eyebrow. Sherlock and Lexi turned back to look at the guests as Joanna narrowed her eyes at them.

"There are certain people who you can be assured won't miss a wedding, like us," Lexi said and Sherlock furrowed his eyebrows thoughtfully and hummed slightly in her ear, kissing the side of her head before he looked up at everyone else again.

"Most people you can kill any old place. As a mental exercise, Lexi and I've often planned the murder of friends and colleagues," Sherlock said, rubbing his hands together in an Evil Genius sort of way in front of Lexi before he grabbed her hand and they walked back along the room together, Sherlock gestured to John as Lexi grinned at him almost manically. "Now John we'd poison," Sherlock said and Lexi hummed in agreement with a slight nod as Mary nervously looked across to her husband. "Sloppy eater – dead easy."

"That and he never questions anything that I cook for him," Lexi added and Sherlock smirked at her as John looked at Lexi with a slight look of shock. She shrugged at him as Joanna shook her head and closed her eyes in disbelief.

"We've given him chemicals and compounds – that way, he's never even noticed. He missed a whole Wednesday once, didn't have a clue. Lestrade's so easy to kill, it's a miracle no-one's succumbed to the temptation," Sherlock said and Lexi nodded and pursed her lips slightly.

"Habits, we all fall into them, certain patterns, those make it easier to kill us. Follow the patterns. The morning coffee break, afternoon cigarette outside so no one can see, perfect times to plan a murder," Lexi added in before they turned and headed towards the back for the room again, each time we paced the length of the room spent studying each and every face.

"I've got a pair of keys to my brother's house – I could easily break in there and asphyxiate him," Sherlock said and Joanna raised an eyebrow at the both of them as she narrowed her eyes slightly. Sherlock made a few strange gestures with his hands, before he noticed Joanna's expression and realized that he may have gone just a bit too far. "...if, if the whim arose."

"Which it hasn't even on the days he is really pissing us off," Lexi assured Joanna and she made an mmm hmm sound as she regarded her soon to be sister and brother in law.

"Yeah well, just remember, fiancée of said brother who also lives with him and I sleep with one eye open," Joanna warned them both in all seriousness and a few of the guest chuckled nervously, unsure if they were joking or not. Joanna threw them a pointed look to let them know that she wasn't kidding at all.

"Duly noted," Sherlock told her and Lexi nodded in affirmation. Joanna settled back in her set, crossing her legs at her knees and her arms across her chest, her gun now hidden in the folds of her dress in her lap as she pursed her lips at the both of them.

"They're pissed, aren't they?" Joanna heard Tom, Molly's date, ask the petite pathologist quietly and she turned her head just in time to watch Molly stab a plastic fork into the back of his head without even looking round at him. Joanna winced slightly before smirking in amusement. Apparently her talks with Molly had paid off. "Ow!" Tom said loudly as he grabbed his hand in pain.

"So, once again, who could you only kill here?" Sherlock asked as he and Lexi turned and faced the guests again. Sherlock twirled his fingers as Joanna raised her hand to her forehead and rubbed it as she regarded the room. Okay, she could cross off most of the younger unimportant and boring guests. No one would want to kill them anyway. She could also cross off the older guests as most of them could be killed while out doing their shopping at Tesco's or by tripping over a brick.

"Most of you could be killed any old place and at any old time if someone wanted to kill you but not one of you. No, one of you could only be killed here," Lexi said as Sherlock pulled her closer to his side and tucked her head under his chin again. Joanna hummed slightly in agreement and closed her eyes, rapidly scrolling through her mind to figure out which one of them it was.

"Clearly it's a rare opportunity, so it's someone who doesn't get out much," Sherlock said as Joanna grimaced slightly. "Someone for whom a planned social encounter known about months in advance is an exception. Has to be a unique opportunity," Sherlock continued and he and Lexi turned around together. "And since killing someone in public is difficult ...," Sherlock said and they turned again. "...killing them in private isn't an option. Someone who lives in an inaccessible or unknown location, then," Sherlock said and they turned once more. "Someone private, perhaps, obsessed with personal security," Sherlock finished as Joanna's eyes opened as she settled on one file and one name. Major Sholto. Couldn't kill him in private as it was too hard to get to him and he hardly came to public events but he would come to this one for John and it had been planned months in advance. It was perfect and in terms of planning, would have gone down without even a hitch for the killer if not for the fact that this was the wedding of John Watson as well as Sherlock and Lexi Holmes who both walked forward, obviously having figured it out as well. "Possibly someone under threat," Sherlock said and as if sensing Sherlock's gaze, Sholto turned and looked at him and Lexi and they stared back at him.

"Someone who despite feeling uncomfortable being here would never miss John's wedding because they, like us, would never let John Watson down," Lexi added and Sherlock hummed beside her as Sholto nodded at her ever so slightly. Sherlock tried to act nonchalant as Joanna watched as he and Lexi walked over to a nearby table and he picked up one of the name cards on it while pulling a pen on a chain from his waistcoat, a little invention from Lexi because you never knew when you would need a pen.

"Ooh! A recluse, small household staff," Sherlock said as Lexi leaned in closely to him and whispered something to him, very close to his ear. Sherlock turned slightly towards her and raised his eyebrow and Lexi smirked at him mischievously and Sherlock couldn't contained his own smirk.

"High turnover for additional security," Sherlock said, writing on the name card in the reception room as Lexi hid what he was doing from view. "Probably all signed confidentiality agreements," Sherlock said and Lexi hummed in agreement as Sherlock passed her the name card while they walked over to Sholto which she then casually dropped down in front of him before they walked away and Joanna saw her whisper something to him again, but couldn't catch what she said to him across the room.

"There is another question that remains, however – a big one, a huge one, how would you do it? How would you kill someone in public?" Sherlock asked as Sholto picked up the name card and looked at the writing on it. "There has to be a way. This has been planned," Sherlock said and Lexi swore under her breath from the look of it since Joanna was reading her lips and Sherlock turned to her in confusion as Archie suddenly jumped up excitedly from his chair.

"Mr. Holmes! Mrs. Holmes!" Archie called excitedly and Lexi and Sherlock both stopped and turned to him.

"Oh, hello again, Archie," Sherlock said as Lexi changed her entire demeanor and smiled down at him.

"What have you got for us sweetie?" Lexi asked him as she and Sherlock bent forward to get more down to Archie's level. Well they had perfect with kids down for themselves.

"Get this right and there's a headless nun in it for you," Sherlock promised Archie and Lexi shot him a look and smiled at him slyly before she rolled her eyes slightly and smirked. Joanna shook her head at that. And there goes responsible with children right out the window. Remind her never to let them babysit for her and Myc if they ever had children.

"The invisible man could do it," Archie said and Lexi grinned at him proudly.

"Very good Archie. You've figured out exactly what I have. Now why don't you explain it to Sherlock for me," Lexi asked Archie and Sherlock realized that this is why she had sworn as did Joanna. She had figured it out already. Then again, Joanna wasn't surprised, she was one step ahead.

"The who, the what, the why, the when, the where?" Sherlock asked Archie quick fire.

"The invisible man with the invisible knife. The one who tried to kill the Guardsman. Mrs. Holmes said it herself," Archie said, looking up at Lexi and she nodded before looking back at Sherlock.

"Trial run," She told him and Sherlock gasped and straightened up, his eyes wide as Lexi straightened up beside him. Major Sholto got to his feet, picked up his ceremonial sword propped against the window, and turned to walk towards the door. Sherlock turned his head away, closing his eyes for a moment. Then he opened them again and looked directly at Lexi who nodded at him. Joanna shook her head at the both of them. Those bloody detectives. It never could be simple with them. There cases were always so connected, the Bloody Guardsman was connected to this and the Mayfly Man.

"Oh, not just planned. Planned and rehearsed," Sherlock said softly as Joanna read his lips and Lexi made a slight gesture with her head. "You said it before, Bainbridge was only a trial run," Sherlock said and Lexi hummed in agreement before they turned and watched as Sholto reached the door and started to open it. Joanna frowned slightly, hoping Mycroft would catch him out in the hall or Lestrade.

"Bainbridge never made sense, the case had holes. Joanna and the BAU both agreed with me that that was only the trial run, they planned and rehearsed the murder in advance," Lexi told Sherlock and he nodded as did Joanna and Sherlock kissed the side of her head before they turned and headed quickly towards the top table, swiping someone's champagne glasses from a table as they went.

"Ladies and gentlemen, there will now be a short interlude," Sherlock said as he and Lexi skidded to a halt in front of the top table and turned and held up their glass.

"The bride and groom!" They said in unison and with a little uncertainly this time, the guests stood up and raises their glasses. Joanna hiding her gun down by her side as she raised her glass and looked over at Mary and John and met both of their eyes as she repeated their words before looking at Anthea and nodding at her and the woman nodded back at her to confirm that she understood her part in the plan that was about to be set into motion.

"The bride and groom," The guests repeated and instantly Sherlock and Lexi turned back and bent down to John.

"Major Sholto's going to be murdered. We don't know how or by whom, but it's going to happen," Sherlock told John who looked at them wide eyed in shock as Joanna gripped her gun tighter.

"And very, very soon," Lexi added before both detectives turned and started making their way through the guests who were now blocking the aisle.

"'Scuse us, coming through!" Sherlock said as he kept his hand firmly linked with Lexi's so as not to lose her.

"Woman in a dress coming through," Lexi called loudly in her Irish accent and people started to move for them, making Sherlock chuckle. John quickly turned and took Mary's head in one hand and kissed her.

"Consulting!" Sherlock shouted as he and Lexi pushed through the crowd.

"Bit of a case, should only take a few minutes," Lexi added as John looked up at them and then back down at Mary.

"Stay here," John told Mary, not wanting her to be in any danger obviously. He had noticed when Mycroft had gotten up and moved his and Sherlock's parents out of the room. He also noticed that it was Lexi who had told him to do that. Joanna of course noticed that he noticed. Whatever was going on Lexi knew something, she was calculating and she only did that on one of two occasions, when one of them was about to die or when she knew something they didn't and she was trying to figure out a solution because an explanation would take too long. Joanna was now in full on assassination mode and she was ready to get out of this room and ascertain that Mycroft was alright if there was a murderer at this wedding.

"Please be careful," Mary told him and John smiled down at her.

"I'll be with Lexi. She'll throw her shoes at any murderer who tries to get too close to Sherlock or me," John joked and Mary smiled before John got up and started making his own way through the guests. "'Scuse me. Coming through! 'Scuse me," John said, following after the consulting detectives. Mary hesitated for only a few seconds, then jumped up and followed him.

"Sorry, one more. Whoops! So sorry! Thank you!" Mary shouted and the guests murmured and chattered to each other in confusion.

"Actually that'll be one more," Joanna said as she stood up again, handing the gun she had in her hand to Anthea under the table so that she had a means of protecting herself if anything happened. She looked at Athena, Charlotte, out of the corner of her eye and while the girl looked terrified at being handed a gun she nodded and strengthen her resolve as she strengthen her grip on it and held it like Joanna had taught her to. Joanna looked at the table grinning. This was going to be fun. "Oh yeah," She said with a nod. "I'm doing this," She said, kicking off her heels which she did not want getting messed up and because, while she could do this in her heels, she would prefer not to, before she caught her dress up in one hand and then vaulted up and over the table before rolling into the middle aisle and onto her knees, throwing her hair back. The guests stared at her in shock, whispering louder as she rose to her feet slowly and dramatically, Mycroft popping his head into the room to see what was taking her so long. He sighed in exasperation when she caught his eye. "Alright, Maid of Honour coming the fuck through. Move it or lose it," Joanna barked and the guests moved out of her way, parting like the red sea as she stalked up to Mycroft barefooted. He held a hand out to her and she took it as he escorted her from the room.

"Was that really necessary?" Mycroft asked her with a sigh.

"Not really, but it was fun," Joanna smirked and Mycroft only grumbled slightly when she pulled him down and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Now, kick ass crime solving! My kind of wedding," Joanna said excitedly as she bounced into the main receiving room where Lexi and Mary were talking with Mummy Holmes who was detaining them, the boys having rushed on ahead.

"Alright Lexi, Mary, go find your husbands, their rubbish without you," Joanna ordered the women, knowing that Lexi could handle the situation with Sholto on her own while she stayed downstairs and made sure that the situation remained neutral. She also was not letting Mycroft out of her sight again, not after how anxious she had felt for only a few minutes. She reached down and began lifting the skirt of her dress to get her second gun out, not at all concerned with the fact that Mummy and Papa Holmes were standing right there.

"What are you doing?" Mycroft squeaked as he tried to shove her skirt down and Joanna rolled her eyes as she straightened up, smoothing out her skirt in the process and held up a gun. Dear Lord, there was such a thing as too keen.

"Though she might like this," Joanna said as she handed the gun off to Lexi who hid it under her dress much in the manner as she had before only her skirt was a lot shorter so it was more practical of a hiding spot. Joanna hid her smirk, knowing that Lexi had probably slipped it into her garter. "Now shoo," Joanna told them and Lexi grabbed Mary's hand before the two women rushed off to find their husbands. "Now, where were we?" Joanna asked before she walked over to Mummy and Papa Holmes and smushed herself in between them. "I believe you were telling me a story about Myc earlier," Joanna said, shooting an evil grin back at Mycroft who groaned as his mother started going on about when he used to shut himself in his room studying. Joanna had a feeling he had been doing something very different from studying when he was locked up in his room all the time, something education surely, but certainly not studying. She looked over at him and started making the bedroom eyes at him as a slow smirk crept onto her face and Mycroft's eyes widened slightly. Well…the night wasn't over yet, maybe Mycroft would get lucky after all.


	26. A Lifetime of Teasing

Mycroft had successfully shaken off his parents and had stolen Joanna away at the opportune moment when Sherlock and Lexi required their aid in helping Major Sholto. Joanna got the ambulance through to the Golden Hall Orangery in less than ten minutes and without alerting the other wedding guests that there was a problem. Mycroft called ahead to the hospital and informed them of the situation while frightening them into submission. They knew well enough to never use the name Major Sholto in connection with their patient and only Mycroft's personal doctors would be seeing to him, being flown to the nearest hospital in Bristol now. After coordinating the Major's hospital visit Joanna and Mycroft were tasked with making up cover stories for the guests to explain why the brides and grooms had suddenly disappeared. Joanna never left his side once and some of the guests seemed apprehensive of her while little Archie seemed to have fallen in love. Mycroft was amazed with the way she interacted with the young boy, getting down on his level, but talking to him talking to him like he was a grown up, like Mycroft preferred when he was a boy himself.

Mycroft stole his fiancée away from the company of others after he remained civil in what was his option, far too long a time. He pulled her out of the main reception room as the orchestra warmed up and into a back hallway that only contained a door to a broom closet and led back to the rooms. He pressed her up against the wall as soon as they were alone and captured her lips with his own hungrily and with a heated passion. Joanna made a surprised sound at his suddenly attack, being completely caught off guard and Mycroft smirked into the kiss, knowing that she was also surprised as he normally did not attack her as such in public. Joanna reacted after only a second and wrapped her arms around his neck and allowed him to lift her up by her thighs so that she could wrap her legs around his waist so that they were at the same height and he wasn't forced to stoop down to kiss her. Mycroft hummed pleasantly and licked Joanna's bottom lip, demanding entrance and she sighed, granting it to him and their tongues tangled together as Joanna moaned into his mouth and scratched at his scalp, causing Mycroft to groan in response. He brought one hand up to tangle in Joanna's hair while wrapping the other around her hip to pull her closer to him and she ground down on him, causing him to break away from her lips and growl slightly as she smirked back at him breathlessly. Mycroft's eyes burned darkly before he leaned down and started pressing kisses up the length of Joanna's neck, nipping slightly on the spot where her neck met her shoulder and her breath hitched before he lifted his head and pressed his forehead to hers before their snogging got any more heated. He currently was more than a little hot and bothered and Joanna could feel him pressing against her and leaned her head down on his shoulder as he held her closely to him in his arms, catching her breath before she pulled back so she could see his face again, caressing his face.

"I've been wanting to do that all day," Mycroft told Joanna in a deep rumbling voice that was slightly husky and Joanna shivered slightly as Mycroft grinned at her smugly, seeing her slightly dazed expression.

"You do always have such good ideas love," Joanna laughed breathlessly as Mycroft slowly set her down on her feet in front of him, kissing her forehead before giving her a bit of space as "On The Beautiful Blue Danube" by Johann Strauss II started playing in the other room.

"Would you care to dance with me mon amore?" Mycroft asked Joanna, leaning down to whisper in her ear as he offered her his hand and she smiled up at him brightly before slipping her smaller hand into his and placing her other hand nearly on his shoulder, as high as she could reach.

"I would love to darling mine," Joanna told him with a sultry smile and Mycroft pulled her closer to him as he place on hand around her right hip, rubbing his thumb lightly over her hip bone, making her shiver slightly again. Mycroft stepped forward, forcing Joanna to step backwards as they began waltzing, twirling around the empty hallway together, pressed chest to chest in the most intimate way possible.

"One, two, three. One, two, three. Dur, dur, dur," Mycroft counted, keeping time with the music as he and Joanna turned and Joanna kept up with him flawlessly, shorter still with her lack of shoes, but he could tell that she was dancing on her toes. She was as gracefully as a ballet dancer, her head held high and her arms perfectly elegant lines. "You are a wonderful dancer dearest mine," Mycroft complimented Joanna and she smiled up at him, blinking her blue eyes from under her long lashes.

"Thank you darling mine. You can thank Theo for that. He was studying to be a dancer. He wanted to be on Broadway. Taught me nearly everything he knew, jazz, tango, ballet, waltz, jive, river dancing, foxtrot, quickstep, you would be surprised just how many of them came in handy as an intelligence agent. I once had to do a waltz to get past a security system," Joanna told Mycroft who chuckled, the sound rumbling in his chest and vibrating between them before he leaned down and kissed her forehead affectionately. "You dance remarkably well too amante," She hummed in contentment as she looked up at him with love and adoration in her gaze.

"Mummy had Sherlock and I take lessons," Mycroft told Joanna, grimacing at the memory. "Our instructor was a very strict Russian woman. I wasn't fond of it, but Sherlock loved it. Dancing was never my thing before, but it appears I just needed to find the right partner," Mycroft told her and Joanna smiled widely at him.

"I'll have to thank Mummy then. I love dancing. And one must find the right partner for the dance to be more than just two people tripping over each other's feet," Joanna told him with a bright smirk as the song started to come to a close. "I have to go find your brother and his wife. They have a case to wrap up which means I need to know how it played out for my own files. Lexi and I have been working this case for a while now," Joanna informed Mycroft and he pulled her tighter to him as they stopped dancing and just stood there, wrapped up in each other.

"Must you?" Mycroft sighed as Joanna tucked her head into his chest and nuzzled her face into his waist coat, breathing in his rich scent which was like a mixture of aged bourbon, fine parchment, peppermint, and clean linen.

"I do. Don't worry, I'll come and find you as soon as we're done. Lestrade should have brought the photographer back by now that they wanted to see," Joanna told him as Mycroft reluctantly let go of her.

"Fine. Hurry back. I don't know how much of this I can take without you," Mycroft informed Joanna, kissing the top of her head affectionately and she smiled up at him fondly before pulling him down by the lapels of his suit for a longer kiss and then she bounced off to find his brother and his wife as he went to go face to goldfish alone. Joanna walked down the hallway and caught the sound of John's voice along with Lexi's replying to whatever he had just said. She followed it out to the foyer as Sherlock spoke ahead of her.

"And it was one murder... – one nearly murderer," Sherlock protested and Joanna walked into the room to join them. "Loves to exaggerate. You should try living with him," Sherlock told her as he gestured over to John and she snorted and shook her head slightly at him.

"I live with your brother. He's even more of a drama queen," Joanna told Sherlock who hummed in agreement with her before nodding.

"Oh yes, you're right," Sherlock said and she smiled at her soon to be brother in law and nodded as the entrance door opened and Gregory walked in. Perfect, she was just in time to see the rest of this case play out.

"Sherlock? Lexi?" Lestrade asked as he pointed back out the door. "Got him for you," Lestrade told them and Sherlock clapped his hands together as the wedding photographer walked in.

"Ah, the photographer. Excellent!" Sherlock said before he turned to Lestrade. "Thank you," He told the D.I. as Lexi smiled at Greg.

"Brilliant work, thank you," Lexi told Lestrade, kissing him on the cheek as she and Sherlock walked over to the photographer. Sherlock pointed at the camera the photographer was holding and Joanna thought back to some of her work as an intelligence agent when she had to stalk certain people to collect pictures of their not so legal activities.

"Er, may I have a look at your camera?" Sherlock asked the photographer.

"Er ...," The photographer said as he pulled his camera back nervously, but then held it out to him. Oh, hesitation, Joanna loved that. It was a little tell, something that just proved criminal intent. "...what's this about? I was halfway home!" The photographer asked Sherlock and Lexi and Joanna rolled her eyes. He was portraying the classic examples of deflecting. Lexi snorted behind Sherlock and Joanna knew she didn't buy it for one second either. Sherlock looked back at Lexi and nodded slightly at her as she shook her head ever so slightly.

"You should have driven faster," Sherlock told the photographer as he took the camera from him.

"A lot faster," Lexi added and the photographer looked ever so slightly worried for a minute. Sherlock held the camera out in front of the both of them and he and Lexi flicked through the pictures on the back screen rapidly.

"Ah, yes. Yes, very good. There, you see?" Sherlock smiled. "Perfect," Sherlock said as he showed everyone a picture of Lexi in the middle of a bright laugh. She nudged him and he smirked at her before he kissed the side of her head and continued flicking through the pictures.

"What is? You gonna tell us?" Lestrade asked the two detectives and Sherlock handed the camera off to him.

"Try looking yourself," Sherlock told him as he wrapped his arms around Lexi's waist again, her back against his front as he rested his chin on top of her head.

"Um, look for what?" John asked as he walked over to Lestrade, Joanna following him to see what they meant as Sherlock and Lexi broke apart and strolled closer to the photographer. "Is the murderer in these photographs?" John asked the two detectives as he pointed to the camera. Joanna lifted one eyebrow, knowing that it wasn't that simple.

"It's not what's in the photographs; it's what's not in them – not in any of them," Sherlock told John and Lexi looked over at the army doctor and nodded in agreement. That answered Joanna's theory.

"Which is very telling. It's not really the pictures themselves but what they represent," Lexi added as Sherlock played with the fingers on her hand and brushed his thumb over her knuckles and then her wedding rings.

"Sherlock? Lexi? The showing-off thing, we've discussed it before," John told the both of them and Joanna smirked and snorted slightly and Lexi sighed, rolling her eyes at him slightly as she smirked.

"Once or twice," Lexi told John with a shrug.

"There is always a man at a wedding who is not in any photograph, but can go anywhere, and even carry an equipment bag around with him if he likes, and you never even see his face," Sherlock said as he and Lexi walked closer to the photographer and looked down towards his hand. "You only ever see ...," Sherlock said before he rapidly slapped one cuff of a pair of handcuffs around the photographer's wrist and the other cuff around the frame of a nearby birdcage luggage trolley.

"...the camera," Lexi finished for Sherlock. "And the photographer remains completely anonymous."

"What are you doing? What is this?" The photographer demanded as Lexi tutted slightly and Joanna smiled widely.

"Jonathan Small," Sherlock said holding up his phone to show the screen to the others. "…today's substitute wedding photographer – known to us as the Mayfly Man," Sherlock continued and Lexi smiled at Joanna and John. Ah, this was too perfect. No wonder he had evaded her.

"I did tell you that we would figure it out at some point. It only took us slightly longer than I thought it would. We've been dancing around this case for a while. It started back with Bainbridge. That was the test run. Then came Tessa, she alerted us to the Mayfly Man's existence while really Tessa's case and that of the Bloody Guardsman are one in the same. John, you told us about Major Sholto when we asked you who he was, he led a group of crows into battle. Small's brother was one of the raw recruits killed in that incursion," Lexi explained and Sherlock smiled at her proudly as she shared their deductions.

"Jonny sought revenge on Sholto, worked his way through Sholto's staff, found what he needed ... an invitation to a wedding – the one time Sholto would have to be out in public. So, he made his plan ...and rehearsed the murder...making sure of every last detail," Sherlock explained and Lexi nodded in agreement.

"It took him a few goes until he found the right person and was able to get a hold of the wedding invite. He had to be a different man every night so none of the women working for Sholto would realize that they were all going out with the same man if they started talking to one another as women are apt to do. All of the women signed a confidentiality agreement and they kept their word, they said nothing. Tessa is a nice girl, but she let something slip by accident. Bainbridge was just a test run, randomly chosen because he wore the same sort of uniform as Sholto. Small needed to make sure that his method worked so he rehearsed the murder like you would a wedding. So, now he knew about the wedding, he had the method, and if Sherlock and I hadn't have been here and figured it out, he would have been long gone by the time Sholto undressed and ended up dying. Of course lucky for us, John and Mary had the brilliant idea of planning a secret double wedding and hardly anyone save a few people know of our connection with John so no one could calculate for the fact that two consulting detectives and a Scotland Yard D.I. would be attending the wedding," Lexi finished with a brilliant smiled as Small looked calmly back at Sherlock and her and Sherlock kissed the side of Lexi's head as both Lestrade and John looked at her proudly. Joanna smirked and rolled her eyes slightly at Lexi for her showing off, but was glad that Lexi had left out the fact that the wedding had also been attended by the two heads of the British Government. It was best if none of the other wedding guests knew that.

"Brilliant, ruthless, almost certainly a monomaniac – though, in fairness, his photographs are actually quite good," Sherlock said as he looked down at Lexi. "Which is quite good for us as I would rather like a few photographs of this wedding," Sherlock told Lexi and she smiled up at him.

"I'll make a scrapbook," Lexi promised him and he smiled at her brilliantly before he tossed his phone to Greg.

"Everything you need's on that. You probably ought to ... arrest him or something," Sherlock told Lestrade as Mary came into view, probably looking for John. She spotted him, smiled, and hurried towards him. Joanna, wandered closer towards Sherlock and Lexi and she leaned closer to the both of them and spoke quietly without looking at them as she raised her perfectly arched eyebrow slightly.

"Do you always carry handcuffs?" Joanna asked Sherlock suggestively as she flicked her gaze over to Lexi.

"Down, girl," Sherlock told her with a smirk and she smiled devilishly back at him.

"Isn't that you and Mycroft?" Lexi asked her with one eyebrow raised and she shrugged her shoulders as Sherlock made a disgusted face. Well she might or might not have given him them as a gift for his birthday and he might or might not enjoy having her use them on him as much as he enjoyed using them on her.

"My lips are sealed. Speaking of Mycroft, I think I spotted a closet I was going to try and pull him into," Joanna said with a smirk and Sherlock gagged as she walked away from them in search of her fiancée. The broom closet in that hallway had looked rather lovely and well…another quick snog in the closet before the reception got back underway and the dancing started would be lovely.

She found Mycroft leaning in the doorway of the reception room and slipped up quietly behind him which wasn't difficult without her shoes on and she smiled to herself before she grabbed him by the elbow and pulled him backwards with her. He made a noise of surprise and quickly turned round to try and see who it was and stopped struggling as soon as he saw it was her. That didn't stop her from pulling a shocked Mycroft down the hallway and opening the door to the closet before shoving him inside and shutting the door behind them before she pulled him down to her level and attacked his lips, slipping her tongue easily into his mouth. Mycroft groaned and pulled her closer to him, resting both of his hands on her hips as she wrapped her arms around his neck and played with his hair, scratching his scalp lightly. Joanna moaned into Mycroft's mouth as he slid his hands higher up her waist and placed a hand lightly over her breasts, squeezing them lightly through the fabric of her dress. They broke apart, gasping for air and Joanna pressed open mouth kisses down the length of his neck before moving up to kiss his jawline as Mycroft rubbed up and down Joanna's sides, feeling more than a little aroused what with their current activities and how close Joanna was pressed against him in this small, dark closet.

Joanna seemed to have the same ideas as he had as he growled again and pressed her back into the wall, lifting her legs up to wrap around his waist. Their lips met again and their tongues tangled together as Joanna reached down and rubbed over the growing bulge in the front of his trousers. Mycroft let out a loud, earthy and masculine groan and broke away from Joanna's lips to press his face into her shoulder to quiet himself. Mycroft bit back a second groan and leaned his head back before he stilled Joanna's ministrations. As much as he would like to shag his fiancée right her and now they did not have the time to as Sherlock and the others would most likely be returning to the reception room already. His brother also did not need to deduce what they had just been doing. He had already had his brother tease him to no end and he knew that while his brother liked Joanna, he did not exactly like their relationship. Part of it was that his brother never thought that anyone could ever love him. Of course the both of them had always had been of the opinion that they would never get married as they would never find anyone that would ever accept them.

"As much as I would like for our current activities to continue, we need to go and rejoin the reception," Mycroft told Joanna breathlessly as she kissed the side of his head lightly and then nuzzled her face into his chest.

"I greatly dislike your brother right now," Joanna groaned against his lips as she hungrily kissed him again.

"The feeling is entirely mutual," Mycroft informed her as he kissed her collarbone. "And the feeling has been expressed several times since our childhood," Mycroft said as he reluctantly set Joanna down on her feet. She lifted her hands up and smoothed down his suit and fixed his hair for him. Mycroft suddenly noticed that her hair was down around her shoulders and he looked around on the floor before finding Joanna's hairpins which he had apparently pulled out of her hair during their heated snogging. Joanna grinned up at him as she took them back from him, her plump lips looking thoroughly snogged. She slipped out of the closet leaving him to collect himself as she found the nearest bathroom and slipped inside to pin her hair back up. Thankfully no one was inside and she was able to compose herself before slipping back out into the hallway where she met up with Mycroft who looked as composed as ever. She smirked at him and he nodded at her before they made it back into the reception room.

"There you are," Joanna called as Sherlock and Lexi entered the reception room, nearly two seconds after she and Mycroft had slipped back inside of the room and some of the guests turned to look at her to see why she was shouting across the room as she made her way towards the two of them pulling a slightly dishevelled looking Mycroft behind her. Joanna smirked to herself, glad that he still looked thoroughly snogged. Some of the other guests turned to look at their arrival, well they had all reappeared all at once. "Could you stop consulting for just a minute? We have to cut the cake," Joanna told Sherlock and Lexi and Lexi nodded at her.

"Well, hardly anything left to consult, the would be murderer's be caught and the would be victim has been saved," Sherlock mused with a smirk and Joanna rolled her eyes at him and his overly large ego.

"Yes, how very civil minded of you Sherlock," Mycroft said sarcastically and Joanna nudged him in the ribs in amusement and he smirked down at her slightly, a gesture missed by his brother as Sherlock glared at him. "Now, shall we move this wedding along? We can only invent stories to tell the guests for so long," Mycroft said with an almost pleasant smile.

"I thought making up cover stories was your job," Sherlock sneered, and Mycroft rolled his eyes as Joanna and Lexi shared a look.

"Yes boys, we get it," Lexi said as she stepped in between them. "Now, don't make us get your mother," She told them and they both paled slightly.

"God knows she would be all too willing to scold the both of you," Joanna said and Lexi nodded in agreement as Joanna grabbed her hand. "Right, now cake!" Joanna said before she started dragging her with her through the throng of guests which meant that they dragged Mycroft and Sherlock behind them. Lexi giggled with her as Mary and John followed them over to the tables that had been wheeled out. Lexi gasped in surprise as Joanna situated Sherlock and her next one of the two three tiered cakes.

While John and Mary's cake was purely traditional with a fondant drape over it and little flowers and a bride and groom on the top, Sherlock and Lexi's was anything but. Each tier was decorated with something from their cases. The first had the word Rache written on it in icing and a pink phone was sitting at the base of the cake. There was also the text message Sherlock had sent John written on the cake, the word wrong, a pink case, and various other bits and bobs from the case. The second tire had the Chinese Suzhou numerals on them along with a lucky cat, a pair of high heels, a sword, and a jade pin. Lexi giggled slightly as she got the references. The last tier had shamrocks on it as well as the words Vatican Cameos written on it and a magnifying glass and pistol lying crossed together. The cake toper was the most incredible part though. Instead of the traditional bride and groom cake toper, John and Mary had gone with a deerstalker and fedora balanced together. Sherlock eyed the two hats and sighed before he smirked and shook his head, kissing Lexi's forehead as John and Mary stood by their own cake.

"Oi!" Joanna shouted, getting everyone's attention and Mycroft sighed in exasperation though Joanna caught his smile. "If you all want some fucking cake you have to watch them cut it first," Joanna called to them and Mycroft sent her a despairing look as some of the guest chuckled and others mummed. Sherlock and Lexi laughed brightly, John and Mary joining in with them. Joanna caught Mummy and Papa Holmes amused expressions which made her smile all the wider.

Mary and Lexi were given knives and Joanna caught John's eyes as Lexi held the knife up and smiled manically before giggling as he rolled his eyes. Sherlock chuckled and kissed the side of her head before they held the knife together and being them, they decided to cut the top tier first rather than the bottom. They cut right through the two fondant hats and broke two little pieces off of the cake. John and Mary watched them as they picked up their own as if they were frightened they were going to shove the cake into each other's faces, but they fed each other the little bits of cake. Lexi giggled as Sherlock got a bit of frosting on his nose and she had some on her upper lips and Lexi kissed his off before he kissed hers off, the guests clapping as even Mycroft had to smile. Sherlock and Lexi were allowed to take their seats at the table again as the servers came back out and plated up the cake, sending it around. Mary and John had chosen the cake that Sherlock and Lexi had liked, the vanilla cake and strawberry filling with buttercream icing. They were simple people with simple tastes. They moved the table around and had Mummy and Papa Holmes sit near them and Mycroft sat near Joanna on the end. Joanna fed Mycroft bits of cake and he fed them to her in return even though he still felt rather aroused and rather bothered with Joanna sitting nearly on his lap. Sherlock and Lexi held hands under the table and sat as close to one another as possible as John and Mary watched them, leaning their heads in towards each other and whispering. After cake, the tables were cleared away so the dancing could begin and once that was taken care of Joanna stood up in front of everyone, acting as the Master of Ceremonies now and no one was stopping her.

"As many of you may know," Joanna started as she looked at the guests. "One of our brides is Irish," Joanna said and she looked across at Mary. "And Mary has agreed with me that this is a brilliant idea, so I am calling for our bride to show us all some Irish pride," Joanna said, calling Lexi out and she groaned, knowing what Joanna was asking for.

"I am not doing it," Lexi told Joanna, pointing at her and Joanna grinned at her.

"I sort of think you are. Janine, you ready?" Joanna asked the younger woman and Janine nodded and got up.

"Oh come on, it'll be fun," Janine told Lexi and she rolled her eyes as she stood up, kissing Sherlock who looked up at her in confusion.

"Fine, but only because I love you, remember that," Lexi told Joanna and she squealed in delight as Lexi took off her heels and shoved them under the table. John was also frowning in confusion as Mary hadn't told him about this bit. Joanna had wanted to keep it a bit of a surprise. Lexi walked around the table and took her place between Joanna and Janine on the dance floor in front of the long table which was the only one that remained at the back of the room. Lexi smiled as she faced Sherlock and Joanna nodded at the musicians at the other end of the room the stage and they started playing a rendition of Irish Washerwoman. Lexi laughed brightly and hiked her dress up a little higher as did Joanna, flashing a little grin at Mycroft as she noticed him staring at her legs. The three of them started a river dance and she kept her eyes on Mycroft as he watched her steadily. Sherlock smiled brilliantly at Lexi as she kept her eyes steady with his and John laughed as they started. Sherlock surprised Lexi when he stood up and walked around the table, joining them. Joanna moved, making room for him and he fell into step beside Lexi. "When did you learn?" Lexi asked him in surprise. "I tried to teach you and it went badly," She said with a laugh and he chuckled brightly.

"I wanted to surprise you, you never know when it comes up in consulting work," Sherlock told her as they started playing slightly faster and Lexi smiled ruefully.

"Well, you certainly have. Let's see if you can keep up," Lexi laughed and she dropped one hand from her skirts and linked her fingers with Sherlock's as they picked up their pace. The guests started clapping in time and John laughed brightly as they danced. The music picked up in tempo again and their feet were moving even faster, Joanna and Janine had to give up because they were laughing to hard and messing up, unable to keep up with it. Joanna had purposely given up so that she could go over and sit on Mycroft's lap, kissing his cheek, but he turned at the last moment and captured her lips with his own as Sherlock and Lexi managed to keep up with the music. The musicians decided to take it one step further and made it even faster and Sherlock and Lexi laughed breathlessly as their feet moved in nearly a blur, the guests cheering as the music came to an end with a brilliant flourish. Lexi fell against Sherlock breathlessly, laughing and Sherlock kissed her forehead as he chuckled and John and Mary stood up clapping for the both of them. Lexi whispered to Sherlock before she kissed him soundly and the guests cheered again. Lestrade wolf whistled from somewhere in the room as Joanna clapped her hands and grinned widely at the both of them.

Sherlock whispered back to Lexi as the two detectives moved back over to the table and John handed Lexi a glass of champagne. She saluted him with it and drank it gratefully before sitting and catching her breath. Sherlock put her shoes on for her again and rested her legs in his lap as Joanna rested back against Mycroft's chest feeling warm, happy, and content. Once Sherlock and Lexi were sufficiently recovered Joanna called them up for their first dance together which John and Mary insisted they do first which worked well for them because of their surprise for John and Mary later.

Sherlock led Lexi out to the dance floor and Lexi smiled as Sherlock held her closely to him, the guests forming a circle around the two of them. Mycroft slipped his arm around Joanna's waist and she leaned her back against his chest, and nuzzled her head back into him, tilting her head back and he kissed her lightly. Lexi looked up into Sherlock's eyes, blue-grey staring back into hazel as the music started and she teared up when she heard the song, You Raise Me Up. John had remembered them playing it together, one of the first songs they had played together and Joanna knew it had a significant meaning to the both of them. Sherlock and Lexi started twirling around the dance floor as the music played and Lexi gasped in surprise when the first few notes of the song started and she heard her own voice. Lexi looked over and found John and Mary as Sherlock and Lexi looked at them in confusion and they smiled at them as they hugged each other.

_When I am down and, oh, my soul, so weary;_

_When troubles come and my heart burdened be;_

"When I was with Mary planning some things in the flat, John dragged you out to give us some space to work," Joanna saw Lexi mouth to Sherlock. "I was singing because I was thinking of you. Joanna was there, she must have recorded it," Lexi told Sherlock as her eyes watered and Joanna grinned mischievously. That had been one of her proudest moments, recording Lexi in secret, fine tuning everything, and putting in the music later so that it all worked perfectly. Lexi smiled happily as Sherlock twirled her around the room and he pulled her closer to him and tucked her head under his chin.

"It's beautiful," Sherlock murmured to her as Joanna read his lips. "You're beautiful," Sherlock told her and Lexi nuzzled her face into his chest and sighed in contentment as she listened to the music wash over them. Joanna leaned up and kissed Mycroft's jawline as he swayed with her in their spot, tightening his arms around her waist as he held her tighter to him.

_Then, I am still and wait here in the silence, _

_Until you come and sit awhile with me. _

_You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains; _

_You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas; _

_I am strong, when I am on your shoulders; _

_You raise me up: To more than I can be. _

_You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains; _

_You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas; _

_I am strong, when I am on your shoulders; _

_You raise me up: To more than I can be. _

Joanna could tell form here that Sherlock's eyes were watering slightly as were Lexi's and everyone was sniffling around them as the couple danced about the circle of their friends and family. Lestrade looked very proud as he watched the both of them and Lexi grinned up at her husband. Joanna realized then that this was it, this was where she felt at home, in the circle of Mycroft's arms. She didn't have to be anywhere else to feel safe and loved and she never wanted to be anywhere else again. Mycroft had accepted her for who she was just as she accepted him for who he was and she loved him unconditionally and with every ounce of her being. A day didn't go by where she didn't thank every being for meeting him, even if their first meeting didn't go exactly well. In every single way possible her heart belonged to him. Mycroft pulled her out of her own inner darkness and showed her that it was possible for her to care. Soon they would be embarking on their own forever. Marriage wouldn't change a lot for them. They already were united and stood together despite the odds or whatever anyone tried to throw at them and they always would.

_There is no life - no life without its hunger; _

_Each restless heart beats so imperfectly; _

_But when you come and I am filled with wonder, _

_Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity. _

_You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains; _

_You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas; _

_I am strong, when I am on your shoulders; _

_You raise me up: To more than I can be. _

_You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains; _

_You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas; _

_I am strong, when I am on your shoulders; _

_You raise me up: To more than I can be. _

"You raise me up: To more than I can be," Lexi sang to Sherlock live as the music started to fade away and he dipped her lowly and kissed her deeply as the guests all clapped. They gave us a minute as they straightened up and Sherlock hugged Lexi tightly. She laughed brightly as a few happy tears slid out. "I married my best friend you know," Lexi told him and he chuckled as Joanna smiled happily for the both of them.

"I couldn't agree more," Sherlock told her and nuzzled her head under his chin. They made their apologize to everyone and ducked into the foyer for a few moments as they needed a few minutes alone, overcome with their emotions.

"I'm marrying my best friend too," Joanna said as she turned around in Mycroft's arms and he looked down at her and raised his eyebrow quizzically.

"The feeling is mutual," Mycroft murmured to her as he leaned down and kissed her, despite the glances of the other guests in the room and the looks his parents were sending him. Sherlock and Lexi returned several moments later as Joanna and Mycroft were continuing their cuddling and Lexi had one of her faces on that told Joanna that she had something important to say.

"Can we have your attention?" Lexi called as Sherlock and she walked back into the room and everyone who had been talking and milling about turned to look at Sherlock and Lexi. "It is now time for the second bride and groom, our John and Mary to have their first dance. As much as they've surprised us, we have a bit of a surprise for them," Lexi told the room and the army doctor and his wife frowned at them. Sherlock and Lexi walked over to the stage and the other musicians walked out. Sherlock's violin case and Lexi's viola case were already waiting on the back of the stage and they collected their instruments, Sherlock pulling the sheet music from his case. "Sherlock and I have composed a piece for John and Mary's first dance together as a married couple so if they could please take the floor," Lexi asked as she made sure her viola was in perfect tune before she raised it to her shoulder. Sherlock nodded at her as he raised his violin to his shoulder and they waited until John and Mary were on the dance floor. "It's a waltz," Lexi added and they positioned themselves accordingly before Lexi waited and Sherlock nodded at her again before they raised their bows and started playing in unison. Mary and John looked into each other's eyes as they started dancing a slow waltz in the middle of the room to the sound of Sherlock and Lexi's combined melodies while all the guests stood around the edge of the room and watched them. Sherlock and Lexi swayed gently while they played, their eyes fixed on the newlyweds before they looked right at each other, playing as they let the music take over. Lexi folded her entire body into playing the music and Sherlock watched her in awe as her fingers nimbly played the tune. Lexi grinned at him and leaned closer towards him. As the tune drew to an end, John shifted one hand to Mary's back, held her by the waist with the other, and started to dip her backwards.

"Really?!" Mary gasped in surprise. Chuckling, he bent her back as she giggled. He kissed her as Sherlock and Lexi finished playing and the guests broke into applause and some of them cheered. Everyone was looking at the happy couple except for Janine, Joanna, Mycroft, and Mummy and Papa Holmes who directed their applause towards Sherlock and Lexi instead. Lexi grinned and curtsied slightly as Sherlock bowed and Joanna whooped at them both proudly.

"Yeah! You go kiddos!" Joanna shouted and Lexi rolled her eyes at her. Sherlock looked at Joanna for a moment before shaking his head before her and Lexi turned to the music stand in front of them. Lexi had taken off Sherlock's buttonhole flower for him and put it on the stand so that it wouldn't get in the way while he was playing and now he picked it up and showed it to her before he tucked it behind her ear. She leaned in and kissed him lightly before pulling back and he smirked at her happily. John, who had pulled Mary upright again and was laughing happily, he waved his thanks to Sherlock and Lexi, then kissed Mary again as Sherlock and Lexi stepped up to the nearby microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Sherlock started as he reached back for Lexi's hand and lifted it to his mouth, kissing the back of it before he pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arm around her waist. Mycroft looked down at Joanna quizzically, wondering why his brother was making yet another speech. "…just, er, one last thing before the evening begins properly. Apologies for earlier. A crisis arose and was dealt with," Sherlock said and then he looked over at Lexi. "Lexi of course dealt with most of it as she always does," Sherlock praised her and Lexi smacked him on the chest.

"He's just saying that because he wants to get lucky tonight," Lexi teased him and the guests laughed as Sherlock's cheeks turned red. "Aww love, you know it's true," She told him and she kissed his cheek. "Sorry love," Lexi apologised for teasing him and he hummed slightly. "But yes, we apologise for earlier. Though to be fair the crisis was dealt with rather quickly and I think John will agree with us that it could be considered to be a record for us," Lexi told the guests in order to change the subject as Sherlock's cheeks cooled. Sherlock drew in a deep breath before he continued for them.

"More importantly, however, today we saw two people make vows, well, technically four people but Lexi and I hardly count. We've already made these vows to each other before only this time they are legally binding. I've never made a vow in my life besides to Lexi who I vowed to give everything I have including myself, and after tonight I never will again," Sherlock said and Lexi took up from there as Joanna leaned her head to the side, watching them both curiously with slightly narrowed eyes.

"Before now, I've never made a vow in my life either except for the vow I made to Sherlock who I vowed to never leave again after I left him once and it nearly killed the both of us and who I vowed to give everything I have to, including myself. I made a promise to him, together or not at all, one I have kept and will always keep," Lexi told the guests and Sherlock kissed the side of her head as she turned towards him.

"So, here in front of you all, our second and last vow," Sherlock told all of the guests as he and Lexi turned and looked directly at John and Mary. "Mary and John, whatever it takes, whatever happens, from now on we swear we will always be there, always," Sherlock vowed as Lexi smiled at the army doctor and his wife who had become part of Joanna's little family as well in the last few months.

"…for all three of you," Sherlock and Lexi said in unison before we hesitated momentarily and then Sherlock stuttered as Lexi's eyes widened in surprise as she realized what she had just said. Joanna's eyes widened in shock and she looked over at Mary as did Mycroft before they made the deductions they had been making as they had been too caught up in each other to notice it before they looked up at each other and nodded. Mary was pregnant. Not just a little, a lot. That explained a lot of things, the taste change, the irritability, and gaining weight.

"Er, we're sorry, we mean, we mean two of you. All two of you. Both of you, in fact. We've just miscounted," Sherlock said quickly, stumbling over his words as he took in a sharp breath and John and Mary exchanged a slightly worried look.

"It's the champagne," Lexi confessed. "We've both had far too much but then again it is our wedding day so you really can't fault us for celebrating," She said quickly and Sherlock squeezed her hip, thankful for her quick thinking and help.

"Anyway, it's time for dancing," Sherlock said over his shoulder to the DJ on the stage "Play the music again, please, thank you," Sherlock told him and the disco lights begin to flash and Sherlock gestured grandly to the guests as Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons' song "December, 1963 (Oh What A Night)" started to play. "Okay, everybody, just dance. Don't be shy!" Sherlock shouted and Lexi jerked her head at Joanna and she nodded in understanding and pulled Mycroft onto the dance floor, much to his protests. After a minute he loosened up when she pulled him down slightly so that she could wrap her arms around his neck, pressing her body flush against him. He eyed her with dark eyes and she bit her lip, making him growl before he leaned down and kissed her hungrily. Sherlock and Lexi walked down off the stage, Sherlock lifting Lexi by her hips and setting her down on my feet before they gestured to the crowd. "Dancing, please!" Sherlock told them all and the guests started to move onto the floor and began to dance. "Very good!" Sherlock told them as Lexi smiled nervously and they walked over to Mary and John who looked quizzically at them.

As they talked to Mary and John, Mycroft and Joanna continued to dirty dance out on the floor, eyeing each other hungrily as some of the other guests eyed them, looking scandalized. The song changed to a slower song, "Wherever You Will Go" by Boyce Avenue and Lexi and Sherlock started dancing out on the floor as Joanna and Mycroft got caught up in each other, dancing slowly and completely pressed up against each other. A more upbeat song, "I Fought the Law" by The Clash started playing and Joanna smiled at Mycroft mischievously before she forced him into dancing to it, pulling her body away from his and making him growl as she saw the darkness of arousal in his eyes. Half way through the song he apparently couldn't take her teasing any long because he pulled her off of the dance floor and into the hallway they had snogged in earlier, slamming his lips into hers as soon as they were alone, his hands roaming along her body. Joanna didn't even take a moment and used her strength to break them apart before she grabbed Mycroft's hand and led him back towards the stairs that led up to the bedrooms. She brought him right up to what was John and Mary's room since they didn't have a bedroom as they would be returning to London that night and opened the door. As soon as they were inside the room Mycroft kicked the door closed with his foot and took no time at all locking it and then backing her up towards the bed and laying her out on it.

He was very gentle, hovering over her and being careful to not lay his weight down on top of her as he kissed her deeply. Joanna brought her hands up and removed his jacket from his shoulders before she started to unbutton his shirt, as Mycroft removed the pins from her hair, threading his fingers through her long curls and tangling his fingers in them as soon as her hair was once again down. He kissed her languidly, their tongues tangling together and Joanna moaned into his mouth, before flipping them both over, straddling his waist. She held Mycroft's hands above his head and bent down, kissing him sound as her hair fell between them and she rocked her hips against Mycroft's feeling his growing erection pressing against her. Her groaned into her mouth and she smirked into their kissing, knowing that she was only torturing him now. Mycroft seemed to know this two and broke her hold on his hands and grabbed her by the hips, turning her over so that she was pinned underneath him again. He removed his shirt and then worked quickly to help Joanna get out of her dress. He kissed over her shoulders and collarbone as he removed her bra and then his mouth ghosted over the swells of her breast. Joanna unbuckled his belt for him and unbuttoned his trousers, helping him to remove them as he was growing just a bit uncomfortable in his current state of arousal. Joanna gasped out his name at their joining and Mycroft sighed as he kissed Joanna deeply, his forehead meeting hers. Whatever anyone could try to say about them would be wrong. This was what they shared with each other. In this moment they bared their souls to each other. There were no secrets between them, no lies, only love and soon…a life time.


End file.
